African leaders launched the operational phase of the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at the 12th Extraordinary African Union Summit on 7 July in Niamey, Niger. The 54-nation trade bloc is set to become the biggest integrated market worldwide, uniting some 2.5 billion people by 2050. The African Union’s goal is to make the free-trade area instruments operational by July 2020. To date, 27 countries have ratified the AfCFTA instruments. What's in it for West Africa? Read on

The Beating Famine Sahel Conference, held from 26-28 February in Bamako, Mali, focused on farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) and other successful land restoration initiatives in the Sahel. It is estimated that FMNR has spread to 21-million hectares in the West African Sahel, making the region a world leader of the land restoration movement. The conference participants adopted a declaration to rally support to restore 100-million hectares of degraded land within the African Forest Landscapes Restoration Initiative (AFR100). Read on

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) convened leaders from across the globe for two weeks of debate in New York. “Making the UN relevant to all people: Global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies,” was the official theme of the summit. The general debate opened on 25 September, following the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. World leaders discussed a large number of urgent issues such as financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, climate action and international peacekeeping. What's in it for West Africa? Read on

Less than one month after handing over power to George Weah, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has already found a new job as “ambassador” for Liberia in the world. On 12 February, she was granted the 2017 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, in recognition for her efforts to rebuild her country following two civil wars. Read on