The Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO), based in Algiers, Algeria, is the guarantor of the sustainability of the preventive control strategy being developed in the region as part of the EMPRES Programme in the Western Region (EMPRES-RO). 

CLCPRO's mandate is not limited to the technical side but also encompasses the political and institutional aspects. The Commission plays a key role in raising awareness among the political leaders of its ten member countries (Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia) of the need to put in place a sustainable preventive control strategy in its area of action, and to counter allochthonous Desert Locust populations that may come from other regions, such as the Central Region of the Desert Locust's permanent habitat. The ultimate aim of CLCPRO's programmes and actions is for its member countries to take ownership, individually and through regional collaboration, of the permanent and effective management of the Desert Locust problem. 

After the implementation of Phase I of the EMPRES-RO Programme (2006-2010) and the 1st year of Phase II (2014-2017), the numerous evaluation missions have highlighted the significant progress made in the Western Region. Thanks to their commitment, good regional coordination and major financial contributions from donors (AFD, ADB, FFEM, France, USAID, FAO and CLCPRO), the member countries of the EMPRES-RO Programme, particularly those on the front line (Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad), have made enormous progress in implementing the strategy for preventive control of the Desert Locust. 

This progress has been reflected at institutional level by the creation of autonomous national structures for locust control at legal/institutional and financial level, which is an undeniable guarantee for the sustainability of preventive control in the countries and therefore at regional level. 

At present, the seven countries with locust-affected areas have autonomous and operational National Locust Control Units (UNLAs), created by law of their respective parliaments. The strengthening of infrastructures, the assignment of personnel and the acquisition of equipment have completed this institutional aspect. 

In 2014, national budgets allocated to National Locust Control Units covered on average more than 60% of operating expenses for the four frontline countries and 100% for the other six CLCPRO member countries. 

These efforts by countries have been reinforced at regional level by important decisions taken at the Meetings of Ministers in charge of locust control, held in March 2009 and October 2016, in Bamako (Mali) and Algiers (Algeria) respectively, and recorded in the "Bamako Declaration" and the "Algiers Declaration". 

In addition to revising the roles and responsibilities of the CLCPRO to give it greater autonomy, these ministerial declarations have improved the management and governance of locust control. 

Major results have been achieved, including: