329. The institutionalization of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council responsible for assisting the President of the Republic and the National Assembly is a big advantage in the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights extensively developed in the preceding paragraphs of this report. 330. Niger has just hosted the Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union on 7 and 8 July 2019, which summit established the launch of the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area, followed by the 1st Coordination Meeting between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities. 331. Thus, as declared by the President of the Republic in his message to the Nation on 2 August 2019 “With the African Continental Free Trade Area, Africa is taking a giant stride towards ending its balkanization. Its implementation as well as that of other projects under the Agenda 2063 should help transform our continent and create conditions for its prosperity, particularly, by creating jobs for the youth”. 332. The DOING BUSINESS ranking on 23 October 2019, ranked Niger 132nd as against 143rd in 2018, representing a leap of 11 percentage points. This performance is the result of a series of reforms carried out to improve the business environment, especially by completely reviewing the legal framework, including, among others, the speeding up of the commercial procedures and the possibility of a seizure of the commercial courts by electronic means. 5°) The Right of Peoples to Peace and International Security: Article 23 333. Niger is working relentlessly towards the consolidation of peace and security in the world. Confronted with several attacks by terrorist groups causing deaths in many countries, the President of the Republic has moved to the forefront of the fight against terrorism and organized crime. Thus, at the regional level, the pooling of forces working under the Multinational Joint Force in the Lake Chad Basin and the G5 Sahel Joint Force has proved effective in this fight. 334. At the ECOWAS level where Niger has been Chairman since the 55th Abuja Summit held in June 2019, the Authority of Heads of State and Government held an Extraordinary Summit on 14 September 2019 devoted specifically to regional security issues and the consideration of ways and means of addressing them collectively. 335. To be effective, the fight against terrorism must take an international dimension and that is the reason why Niger which has just been brilliantly elected to the UN Security Council for the period 2020-2021, will pursue the fight for peace and international security in this august body. 336. Finally, as part of the framework to maintain peace and international security, Niger is participating in the UN contingents deployed in different parts of the world torn by armed conflicts. 6) The Right of Peoples to a Safe Environment: Article 24 337. It is the outcome of provisions of Article 149 of the Constitution that the harnessing and management of natural resources and the sub-soil must take into consideration environmental protection, cultural heritage and the preservation of the interests of present and future generations. 338. Other relevant Articles of the fundamental law protect the environment, and they include: - Art. 35 – Every individual has a right to a safe environment. The State has the obligation to protect the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. 71