On 18 March , the Security Council held a workshop on the theme `` Proliferation of small arms and light weapons and mercenary activities : threats to peace and security in West Africa '' . The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of nine countries of the subregion , the Secretary-General , the representatives of the African Union and of the Chairman-in-Office of ECOWAS , the Executive Secretary of ECOWAS and the Director of the Programme for Coordination and Assistance on Security and Development ( PCASED ) -Bamako took part in this workshop .