GC45 Informal Event: Sahel, a land of opportunities

13:00-14:15 (CET)

The Sahel stretches 6,000 kilometres and spans twelve countries from East to West Africa. It is home to 400 million people and has a variety of geographic and agro-ecological systems.

The region faces many challenges. Climate change threatens to further degrade land, vegetation, water resources, and food systems. Political instability has weakened livelihoods, threatened sovereignty, and undermined peace. The COVID-19 crisis exacerbates the situation.

The six-year SD3C Sahel Joint Programme responds to these challenges and aims to strengthen the livelihoods of small-scale agricultural producers, particularly women and youth, reaching over 850,000 people.

Join this Governing Council 45 informal event to learn how joint regional operations and financing can be used to bring together key players in the Sahel and harness the opportunities of this unique region.

Welcome remarks:

Mr Donal Brown, Associate Vice-President, Programme Management Department (PMD), IFAD

Panelists:

• Dr Gouantoueu Robert Guei, Coordinator of the West Africa Sub-regional office and FAO Representative for Senegal (Dakar)
• Mr Boubacar Altiné, Senior National Technical Assistant for Political Dialogue and Coordinator of the IFAD National Representation and Technical Assistance Unit
• His Excellency Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Senegal to the United Nations Agencies in Rome
• His Excellency Éric Yemdaogo Tiaré, Ambassador and Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel
• Ms Elvira Pruscini, Deputy Regional Director WFP Regional Bureau for Western Africa (Dakar)
• Mr Benoit Thierry, West-Africa Hub Head and IFAD Representative for Senegal

Moderator: Ms Ndaya Beltchika, Lead Technical Specialist - Gender and Social Inclusion, IFAD