Governors of the eight regions of the Lake Chad Basin affected by Boko Haram gathered in Niamey, Niger from 17-18 July to affirm and reinforce their commitment to cross-border cooperation and implementation of the Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience. The meeting was organized by the Lake Chad Basin Commission and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). International and regional organizations, the diplomatic community and civil society turned out in force to demonstrate their support for these efforts. During the event, donors committed around $60 million USD to the establishment of a stabilization facility that will channel support for the implementation of the Strategy.
The Regional Strategy, validated in February 2019 by the Council of Ministers of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), promotes a comprehensive approach to the challenges of the region that incorporates key requirements of the Security Council to counter terrorism. CTED participated in the Forum within the framework of its engagement in the region on issues relating to prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration (PRR), having also contributed to the development of one of the Strategy’s pillars. Together with the African Union, UNDP, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Organization for Migration, among others, CTED has engaged regionally and nationally in the Lake Chad Basin to advance a comprehensive approach to PRR that ensures that justice is a touchstone for broader efforts, and that rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, like prosecutions, account for the varied experiences and impact of terrorism on individuals.