He says the UN Office for West Africa will continue to play a mediation role in regional conflicts, including the follow-up on the settlement of the Nigeria-Cameroon dispute over the Bakassi Peninsula.
The Office will also place a stronger emphasis on conflict prevention and peace-building in general and strengthen its working relations with regional organizations.
These groupings are the Economic Community for West African States, the Mano Union, the African Union and the European Union's local initiatives.
However, the Secretary-General says he remains concerned by regional food insecurity and the impact of the global financial crisis in West Africa.
For United Nations Radio, I'm Dianne Penn.
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