Date: 17 Apr 2007

From 17 to 19 April 2007 in Dakar, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is holding a regional meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in West Africa.
This meeting aims to strengthen the collaboration between international and regional institutions in order to ensure better protection of civilians in armed conflict.

This implies closer collaboration between the humanitarian, diplomatic and military stakeholders in situations that involve peacekeeping forces. Participants include international and regional institutions such as the Economic Community of West African States, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, African Union, European Union and the League of Arab States, as well as organizations of the United Nations system and partners.

For further information, background material and highlights from the opening of the meeting, please visit the website of the OCHA Regional Office for West Africa available at http://ochaonline.un.org/westafrica