Climate Change and International Conflicts in West Africa: A New Challenge for the UN System of Collective Security or Much Ado about Nothing?

This contribution focuses on the role played by the UN Security Council (UNSC) in addressing inter communal conflicts exacerbated by climate related effects in the Sahel region. What is the extent of the UNSC commitment to address these type of conflicts? What are the legal and practical implications of the UNSC recommendations for the UN and its subsidiary bodies in areas characterized by generalized State weakness and weak enforcement of the rule of law? Has the UNSC really succeeded in ensuring an adequate integrated approach to multidimensional threats in the Sahel? The contribution tries to answer these questions by analyzing selected provisions of the UNSC Resolution 2423 (2018), concerning the situation in Mali and their implementation.