While travelling in Senegal, Veolia Foundation Executive Officer Thierry Vandevelde met with Ibrahim Thiaw, the United Nations’ Special Advisor for the Sahel. Formerly Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Ibrahim Thiaw was appointed last March by Secretary General António Guterres to fine-tune the UN’s strategy and new approach in providing support to the Sahel.
The discussions were centred on the Veolia Foundation’s expertise in conducting development projects throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Both organisations share the goal of helping the rural part of the Sahel to break out of its endemic poverty. The aid which the Veolia Foundation could provide involves such areas as access to water, rural development and the reliance on renewable energy, especially for farming. Other meetings are planned to look into forming a partnership and fostering a better understanding of the challenges around the economic development of the Sahel.