f) Reinforcing actions against terrorism in all its ramifications, particularly in the Northern regions of the country which are reputed to be the dens of armed bands, networks of drug and weapon trafficking, illegal migrants, residual banditry, etc. Despite some sub-regional cooperation initiatives, especially at the level of certain Saharan neighbouring States, the challenge of controlling these vast desert areas in the North remains lively, as far as security and development are concerned. g) Implementation of Shared Security Governance. Shared Security Governance implies an enlarged or broad-based participation in the management of security issues. Participation and responsibility-sharing will be articulated through consultative and coordinating bodies consisting of representatives of the different strata of the Malian populace. Within the framework of this participative system, a key position will be assigned to the female gender. The State will assume a predominant role, though it is no longer the sole security actor. In this vein, it should ensure that the other security actors carry on their duties within a clearly defined framework of interdependency, while taking the security dimension into consideration wherever it may be deemed necessary, owing to its cross-cutting character. h) Consolidating and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation. In view of the transnational and transborder character of the criminal phenomenon, International cooperation is imperative. In fact, criminal bands are increasingly mobile, moving across several countries, hence the need for Inter-States Cooperation. Such a cooperation drive may be operated by means of legal instruments(treaties, conventions, agreements) or bilateral, regional or multilateral cooperation mechanisms (large joint cooperation commissions, bilateral border committees, joint security commissions, etc.). 48