Message from Christian Geosits, Head of the Sahel Alliance’s Coordination Unit

Dear members of the Sahel Alliance, dear partners,
I’m delighted to have joined the Sahel Alliance’s Coordination Unit (UCA) in Brussels at the end of the year as head of the unit. I am taking over from Emmanuel Debroise, and I am committed to continuing the high-quality work he has carried out over the last two years.
Since starting in this role, I had the opportunity to attend two major Alliance events: the 15th Operational Steering Committee, where I had the pleasure of having a first virtual contact with the members and being able to listen to their current concerns and priorities. I also had the opportunity to exchange views with representatives from our 5 partner countries at the Sahel Alliance side-event organised on the sidelines of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The meeting provided an opportunity to share experiences and perspectives on combating desertification, building resilience and ensuring food security in the Sahel.
Before joining UCA, I held various positions in bilateral development cooperation (Austria), international organisations and NGOs. My professional commitments have taken me to various countries, mainly in the Balkans and the central Sahel, a region that is particularly close to my heart. Over the last few years I have witnessed an unprecedented dynamic in the Sahel, with complex challenges for which there are no easy solutions, but to which joint efforts can provide a response. It is more important than ever to work with each other to identify potential, find solutions and create opportunities.
With this in mind, I am convinced that the Sahel Alliance is a unique and constructive tool for facilitating the coordination of all the partners, and encouraging dialogue. In this respect, as a member of the team and coordinator of the UCA, I will do my best to implement the decisions taken by the governance structures and to contribute to our main common objective: a positive future for the people of the Sahel region.
2025 will bring changes for the Sahel Alliance, particularly in terms of methodology and the path to be followed, according to the vision of the actors involved. The main objective is to make the Sahel Alliance a tool that can be used by its members and partners for the benefit of the people of the Sahel.
I thank you for your attention and look forward to the joint consultations. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in person, especially those in the partner countries. As the year draws to a close, I would like to wish you all the very best for a peaceful and prosperous Sahel 2025.
We are together,
Christian Geosits
Head of the Sahel Alliance Coordination Unit