UNOWA
United Nations Office for West Africa

Closure of UNOWA

The United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) was established in January 2002 to promote political stability in the region. Its mandate ended in January 2016, when it merged with the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel (OSES) to form the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

Ban Ki-moon welcomes the opening of the electoral campaign in Côte d’Ivoire

15 October 2010 -- The Secretary-General welcomes the opening today of the electoral campaign in Côte d'Ivoire and the progress made so far in the electoral process. He calls on the parties to conduct their electoral campaign in a peaceful manner in keeping with the spirit engendered by the signing of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. The Secretary-General calls on the parties to preserve the current positive political climate and urges them to respect Article 6.6 in the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, as well as the Code of Good Conduct they signed on 24 April 2008. He expects the parties to accept the proclaimed and certified results of the elections and to address any arising disputes through the legally-established mechanisms.

The holding of open, free, fair and transparent elections in Côte d'Ivoire will represent a major milestone towards the peaceful resolution of the crisis. The Secretary-General calls on all parties and the Ivorian people to ensure that the country remains on track towards lasting peace and stability.


New York
15 October 2010