N’Djamena, 15 June 2023 – The 4th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, organised by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is set to take place in N'Djamena, Chad, from July 5th – 7th, 2023. Hosted by the Government of Chad, the forum will convene the governors of the eight Boko Haram-affected territories in the Lake Chad Basin and partners to explore opportunities for promoting peace and strengthening regional collaboration.

The forum occurs amidst shifting conflict patterns and emerging challenges that have resulted in widespread displacement, damage to the social fabric, interrupted public services, and weakened institutional capacities across the affected countries – Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.

“For the past two decades, the Lake Chad Basin has borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency and its resulting instability,” said Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary, LCBC and Head of Mission, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). “The time is ripe for a renewed and sustained response that supports the region’s transition from instability to recovery and the resumption of stalled development in the region,” he added.

Since the development of the Regional Strategy for Stabilisation, Recovery, and Resilience (RS-SRR) in 2018, the strategy has acted as a regional architecture for responding to the complex security, humanitarian and development issues plaguing the region. It emphasises the need for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, and coordinated set of sub-national, national, and cross-border initiatives to achieve long-term stabilisation, recovery, and resilience.

As a result, several initiatives and programmes have sprung up to facilitate regional cooperation, respond to humanitarian needs and foster peace and development in the region, one of which is the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum.

“The Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum is an essential platform for promoting sustainable regional peace and security in the region,” said Ambassador Adeoye Bankole, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission. The African Union encourages further collaboration among member states and international partners to support the forum's efforts towards consolidating peace in the region and creating better opportunities for the people of the Lake Chad Basin,” he added.

Now in its 4^th edition and its 4^th host country, the upcoming forum, themed “New Opportunities for Peace in a Shifting Security Context,” aims to improve understanding of emerging security trends in the region and their implications to ongoing efforts to restore state authority. It also seeks to explore the future of the RS-SRR, which is now in its final year of implementation and find ways to scale up and forge partnerships to address the plight of forcibly displaced people, including refugees and internally displaced persons. 

“The Regional Stabilisation Facility, born out of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, has been instrumental in implementing the RS-SRR. Through collaborative efforts, we have been able to co-create practical and enduring solutions that have enabled nearly half a million internally displaced persons to return to their communities and significantly enhance their quality of life,” said Njoya Tikum, Director, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa. “UNDP will continue to support the LCBC in creating a brighter future for the Lake Chad Basin—a future where security is restored, communities are rebuilt, and opportunities abound,” he added.

The 4^th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum will commence with a Pre-Forum with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the region from the 3^rd – 4^th of July 2023 to help enhance inclusivity, promote knowledge exchange on partnerships, innovative practices and tools that contribute to the effectiveness of interventions in the region.

For more information and media enquiries, contact:

• Ibbo Daddy Abdoulaye, Director, Information, Communication and Technologies, Lake Chad Basin Commission | i.daddy@cblt.org
• Amalachukwu Ibeneme, Communications Analyst, UNDP Nigeria | amalachukwu.ibeneme@undp.org
• Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu, Regional Communications Analyst, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa | ugochukwu.kingsley@undp.org

Notes for Editors:

About the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)

The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) was established on 22 May 1964 with a focus on managing Lake Chad and its shared water resources, preserving the ecosystems and promoting regional integration, peace, security, and development in the Lake Chad Region.

Learn more at www.cblt.org/

About the African Union Commission

The African Union Commission (AUC) is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day-to-day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Some of its functions include representing the AU and defending its interests under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and the Executive Council and acting as the custodian of the AU Constitutive Act and all other OAU/AU legal instruments.

Learn more at www. https://au.int/en/commission

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.

Learn more at www.undp.org/africa

Follow the conversation @lcbc_cblt @UNDPWACA

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