398. At the regional and international levels, the G5 Sahel is an institutional framework for coordination and monitoring of regional cooperation in matters of policy development and security. It was established during the Summit held from 15 to 17 February 2014 by 5 Sahel countries, namely: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. An agreement was signed to that effect on 19 December 2014 and its permanent Secretariat serving as its headquarters is in Mauritania. The position of permanent secretariat is held by Niger. It meets at different levels and at the military level, the Army Chiefs of Staff meet at one level. Thus, the 5 Member States have formed a force of 5000 men, codenamed “G 5 Sahel Joint Force” approved by the African Union and adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on 21 June 2017 by Resolution 2359 and on 8 December 2017 by Resolution 2391. In his address presented on 24 September 2019 at the 74th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the President of the Republic of Niger expressed the wish that the G 5 Sahel Joint Force will be placed under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter for more effectiveness and for resources. 399. When the Boko Haram terrorist group unleashed their terror on Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, these countries were joined by Benin and they sought to pool their forces together to get around this terrorist organization. Thus, an agreement was signed on 28 February 2012 in Abuja among these States for improved coordination in the fight against Boko Haram. 400. Concerned about their security, the 3 neighbouring countries in the south of Libya, namely Niger, Chad and Sudan signed a security cooperation agreement in N’Djamena, Chad with their northern neighbour, to fight against terrorism and illicit trafficking. The 4 countries have committed themselves to cooperate under the terms of the agreement in information sharing and to authorise troops to use the right of hot pursuit over a distance within its hinterland of the territory of the other country. The agreement urged the judicial authorities to sign within two months cooperation agreements to facilitate cases of extradition when it is deemed necessary. 401. At the international level, the United Nations have committed themselves for decades to fight against terrorism. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1373 (2001) which is mandatory for all Member States and traces the approach to be followed in the fight against terrorism. 402. This Resolution also established the Committee against Terrorism (CAT) made up of 15 members of the Security Council and it calls on all Member States to implement a number of measures to strengthen their legal and institutional capacity to fight against terrorist activities on their national territory, at the regional level and throughout the whole world. 403. Thus, Niger has incorporated Heading VI (new) into its Criminal Code which deals with terrorism and financing of terrorism. The Heading VI made up of 15 chapters deals with the definition and classification of offences deemed to be acts of terrorism and financing of terrorism. 404. The Criminal Procedure Code was reviewed to incorporate the Specialised Judicial Centre on the fight against terrorism and the procedure to be followed in combating terrorism. V. RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY AND PROHIBITION OF EXPLOITATION AND SLAVERY A. Strengthen existing policies and programmes in order to eradicate definitively the practice of slavery and its consequences particularly in areas under nomadic traditional chiefdoms. 82

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