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Azerbaijani Permanent Representative to the UN briefs Security Council during open debate on Libyan crisis

27 January 2012 08:22 (UTC +04:00)

â€œAzerbaijan believes that any immediate long-term strategy to mitigate the impact of the Libyan crisis should take the root causes of the regionâ€™s problems into accountâ€, said the Ambassador.

He underscored that the UN report on the impact of the Libyan crisis on the Sahel region, showed the need to strengthen cooperation and develop a common approach to the problems of the Sahel.

The report says that due to the Libyan upheaval, and in the context of an already challenging humanitarian, development and security situation, the governments in the region are faced with the return of millions of economic migrants, the smuggling of weapons from Libyan stockpiles, terrorist activities, youth unemployment, trafficking in drugs and human beings, and a surge in criminality. Added to this backdrop is an impending food and nutrition crisis, the report says, noting the determination of those Governments to address the challenges.

Azerbaijan supports the reportâ€™s recommendations, including, in particular, the urgent need to support the ongoing national and regional initiatives to address the Sahelâ€™s looming humanitarian, socio-economic and security challenges.

Commending Sahelian countries on their initiatives to face security threats, Amb. Mehdiyev said their efforts, and those of regional organizations, should be supported by the wider international community.

The proliferation of arms required particular consideration, in the Sahel and beyond, he said, emphasizing the need for inter-community dialogue to cement stability in the region, as well as better coordination among all actors.

UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe said that the Secretary-General had dispatched the interagency assessment mission to look into the impact of the Libyan crisis on the Sahel, and it had found â€œa remarkable openness to engage on the nature and enormity of the challengesâ€ confronting the Sahel among the regionâ€™s civil and political leaders.

While most of those challenges pre-dated the crisis, a top priority for the countries visited was the question of feeding and reintegrating vulnerable returnees arriving from Libya, and helping affected communities cope with the loss of remittances.