Senegal will host the 7th meeting of the High-Level Committee on Peace and Security of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on July 10, 2026 in Dakar, under the presidency of the Senegalese head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, who is the current chair of this strategic body.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by persistent security threats in West Africa, including terrorism, cross-border crime, and institutional fragilities. The discussions will focus on the evolving security situation in the eight member states of the Union, as well as the assessment of the implementation of decisions taken during the sixth meeting of the High-Level Committee.
Prior to the heads of delegation meeting, a series of preparatory meetings will engage experts from July 6 to 8, followed by a ministerial meeting. The program includes a detailed review, state by state, of the implementation of previous recommendations, an analysis of recent security developments in each Union country, as well as the examination of the semi-annual report on peace and security in the UEMOA region and the progress report on the Peace and Security agenda.
Participating in this meeting will be the ministers responsible for Foreign Affairs, Security, and Finance from the eight member states, alongside the President of the UEMOA Commission, the Governor of BCEAO, the President of BOAD, as well as the Presidents of the UEMOA Court of Justice and the Inter-Parliamentary Committee (IPC/UEMOA), all members of the High-Level Committee.
Established by the UEMOA Heads of State and Government Conference during the summit in Lomé on June 6, 2012, this Committee is the main political mechanism responsible for coordinating regional responses to security challenges. Its objective is to promote a common approach to crisis prevention, information sharing, and capacity building of member states.
Beyond defense issues, the discussions are also expected to highlight the economic implications of insecurity in a Union representing nearly 150 million inhabitants and sharing a common currency. Disruptions in trade, pressures on public finances, and increasing needs for security policy financing are now among the main challenges facing UEMOA.
The expected conclusions of this seventh meeting should define new political and operational orientations for the Union to strengthen regional coordination in the face of a security threat that remains one of the main risks to economic stability and West African integration.
