 Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests and Colleagues, I would first like to thank Germany and Denmark and the European Union for convening this event with the support of the United Nations. I would also like to thank the participants of the recent Senior Officials Meeting and today's Roundtable for their commitment to respond to the multifaceted crisis currently affecting more than 13 million people in the Central Sahel. I am heartened by the solidarity shown to the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. For more than a decade, the region has faced significant governance and development challenges further exacerbated by escalating conflict and violence, demographic pressure, climate change and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we continue to witness daunting mass displacement, rights violations and limited basic services, particularly for the most vulnerable. Access restrictions and attacks against aid workers have also become a serious issue. We must intensify our efforts to not only meet the most immediate needs but also address the root causes of this crisis. Military operations alone cannot be the solution. IOM stands with those here today to call for urgent and stronger collective action. We have scaled up our activities to assist millions of people in need across these three countries with over 700 staff working in nearly 20 locations. Our operations span the Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus to include the delivery of life-saving assistance, livelihoods and disaster risk reduction, programming and the facilitation of community-based peace-building and conflict resolution activities. Taking stock of the successes and challenges we have experienced this past decade, I'm encouraged by the commitment and engagement shown today by the international community and concerned governments to adapt and strengthen our collective response to this crisis. We now have an opportunity to shift the paradigm of our response and create a space where humanitarian and development actors can build giant approaches with the common goal of improving the lives of all those affected. The inclusion and empowerment of local organizations is also essential in guaranteeing effective and equitable humanitarian assistance, strong resilience and governance in the years to come. It is my sincere hope that we can build on the momentum generated by this event and transform our shared engagement to ensure that no one is left behind. Thank you for your leadership and solidarity.