Group picture of the participants

ACCRA, Ghana, June 8, 2016 — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the World Bank Group co-hosted a technical workshop in Ghana from June 7–8, under the Improved and Facilitated Trade in West Africa Project. The project aims to unlock transit challenges across key trade corridors in West Africa.

Over 40 participants, including representatives from the ECOWAS and the West Africa Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU) Commissions, the European Union, the World Bank Group, and stakeholders from the public and private sectors along the three main trade corridors in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Ghana, attended the two-day event.

“The Economic Community of West African States is committed to implementing programs that facilitate regional integration and making it work for private sector operators and the people of West Africa,” said Mr. Louali Chaibou, Commissioner, Trade Customs and Free Movement, ECOWAS Commission.

“The fact the European Union is financing this event is testimony of the importance we give to the promotion of the private sector as an engine for an economic and social development of West Africa. Our support to improving trade conditions is a priority of the EU cooperation with the region,” said Delphine Aupicon, Program Officer / Macro-economic and Trade Section who represented Ambassador William Hanna, Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana.

The Improved and Facilitated Trade in West Africa Project is a four-year initiative that was launched in November 2014. The €3,5 million project seeks to support ECOWAS to improve trade in the West African region and, specifically, transit trade along the region’s major trade corridors. It focuses on reducing the time and cost to trade, and increasing border agency cooperation and coordination, to encourage a better flow of goods within the region, and with international trading partners.

“West African countries have enormous potential to strengthen competitiveness and increase trade flows, which can drive growth, reduce poverty, and deliver jobs to the region. The World Bank Group is pleased to be working in partnership with regional organizations, member states, the private sector and development partners to help these countries unlock transit challenges along key trade corridors, and improve their competitiveness within the global economy,” said Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire, IFC Country Manager for Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Togo.

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For more information, please contact:

ECOWAS: In Abuja, Amos Lungu, Publication Officer, +234(0)8025560095, alungu@ecowas.int

European Union: In Abuja, Modestus Chukwulaka, Press and Information Officer, +234(0)94617800 ext 204, modestus.chukwulaka@eeas.europa.eu

World Bank Group: In Accra, Kennedy Fosu, Communications Officer, +233(0)302214142/ +233(0)244312541, kfosu@worldbank.org

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held its 41^st Anniversary celebration on the 10^th of June 2016 at its Commission Headquarters in Abuja with garlands, tributes and sober reflections.

Welcoming delegates of the development partners and other invited guests to the well-attended occasion, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Marcel de Souza represented by the Commissioner of Trade, Customs and Free Movement Laouali Chaibu paid tributes to the stakeholders of ECOWAS and heads of its institutions for remaining faithful tothe ECOWAS project through the years.

Expressing his gratitude to the Partners and citizens of West Africa for their unalloyed support of the integration programs and activities, the President enthused that the execution of the community integration programmes in the area of energy, transport, infrastructure and telecoms would continue to endure because of the commitment by all stakeholders. With such commitment, he added, “the regional integration is moving forward despite the obstacles”

He noted that ECOWAS has set a good example to other Regional Economic Communities (REC) on the continent with the level of progress being made in bringing the Biometric Identity Card into being. This he said would simplify entry and stay in ECOWAS member states.

President de Souza disclosed that monitoring personnel and equipment for inter-state transportation are being installed along the borders in the region to complement the implementation of the Free Movement of Goods, persons and services. 

He was full of thanks to God while recognizing the role, diligence and cooperation of all agencies such as the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), national governments and the ECOWAS machinery for working together to put an end to the dreaded Ebola disease.

In his remarks, the ECOWAS Staff Representative Dr. Tony Luka Elumelu praised the ECOWAS’ spirit of cooperation saying the zest displayed by staff as the engine room that drives the community economic and integration agenda has been encouraging. He called for a one minute silence in honour of ECOWAS   staff who have paid the ultimate price in the course of duty. His remarks came on the heels of a welcoming statement by the Commissioner for Administration and Conference Mr. Stephen Anyemi Nartey

Guest lecturer professor Amadu Sesay who spoke on the theme: ECOWAS and Peace Support Operations in West Africa: Opportunities and Threats traced the evolution of ECOWAS and gave a rundown of the ECOWAS trajectory since inception surmising that the regional group is “perhaps the single most important collective achievement in independent West Africa” 

With the aid of a power-point presentation, professor Sesay examined the core components of the peace support operations. He maintained that the watchful world was quite satisfied with the fact that ECOWAS has established the nexus between peace and development and between conflict and stability and progress

The ambassador of Liberia to Nigeria accredited to the ECOWAS Commission Al-Hassan Conteh who spoke on behalf of the Permanent Representative of member states to ECOWAS thanked the president of the ECOWAS Commission for the strides made so far by ECOWAS.He lauded the efforts towards attaining the single currency for the region, the adoption of the Biometric Card as well as the other programmes that promote integration. He located other achievement in the areas of trade liberalization, Customs union, favourable industrial policy, Mines development, agriculture and the environment, infrastructure, transport, telecommunications and energy.

Ambassador Conteh commended ECOWAS for the resolution of the crisis in Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau and Mali. He pledged that the Permanent Representatives “stand ready to play our part in helping ECOWAS to attain the integration agenda…” He also thanked the government of Nigeria for recently pledging its full support to the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.

Invited guests were shown the documentary If I Were Told About ECOWAS and thereafter treated to celebration songs by the ECOWAS Staff Choir and a cocktail.

In attendance were members of the diplomatic community and Member States ambassadors from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. There were also representatives of 66 other diplomatic Missions accredited to ECOWAS.

ECOWAS was established on May 28 1975 via the treaty of Lagos, with a mandate of promoting economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries. Its foundation treaty was revised in 1993 to make room for reforms that aid greater integration and co prosperity for the citizens of West Africa.

The briefing is coming on the heels of an earlier meeting convened on 11 April, 2016 to assess the progress made by Departments on the operationalization of the 3-Year Priority Plans.

Since the last ISC meeting, the ECPF Secretariat has taken steps towards the effective mobilization of financial resources for the ECPF Focal Point Directorates and the development of monitoring strategy for the ECPF reporting process.

During the meeting, there would be updates on Follow-up Actions taken from last convergence of ECPF Secretariat with stakeholders, feedback from partners as well as an introduction to and internal launch of the ECPF web portal.

The ECPF Web Portal which is in prelaunch stage was developed in keeping with the desire to make the conflict prevention and peace building activities of ECOWAS, more tangible to citizens of West Africa. The birth of the web portal is part of ongoing efforts to reposition and enhance the visibility of the strides of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) domiciled in the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS)

The Web Portal which will be published and updated in English and then translated into the two other official languages of the community-French and Portuguese, has a modern look and feel including elements that makes it captivating, navigable and accessible to help in creating the desired visibility and awareness of ECPF programmes and activities.

In a digital and globalizing world, the web portal that promotes peace and alerts to the dangers and drawbacks of conflicts is an important tool for communication and interaction even between community institutions, community citizens and ECOWAS development partners.

Apart from being an information reservoir on the all-important matters of peace, security and conflict resolution, the portal will easily serve the best interest of stakeholders of peace and stability in West Africa while potential donors can with a click, get all the information needed to lend their needed support.

The ISC meeting is a precursor to the complete the launch of the ECPF Web Portal with all the technical details and featuring a presentation to a wider audience including external media collaborators and stakeholders.

The Internal Steering Committee (ISC) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) has expressed satisfaction with the growing collective ownership of the framework by all stakeholders as a veritable tool of bringing about greater stability in the region.

This disclosure was made by the ECOWAS Director of Political Affairs (DPA) Dr. Aderemi Ajibewa during the meeting of the ISC with development partners, Focal Points and staff of strategic Directorates who are driving the ECPF process on the 14^th of June 2016 in Abuja.

The meeting was called to brief Focal Point Directorates on the outcome of earlier meetings with Development Partners, lessons from a results-based Management training as well as an internal launch of the newly developed ECPF Web Portal.

According to Dr. Ajibewa, who was supported by the co-chair of the meeting and representative of the ECOWAS Director, External Relations Madam Benita Tar, the strides made by all stakeholders of the ECPF over the past months have reached a very encouraging point where ownership is now by all stakeholders rather than the narrow perception that it is just a programme of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security.

Recognizing the presence of development partners in the ISC meetings as a sign of unflinching interest and support, Dr. Ajibewa expressed the hope that some of the issues and new threats bordering on trans-humans and violent extremism being identified as phenomena that need the attention of the ECPF would be effectively tackled in the end.

Apart from working out ways of engaging the media on good governance, anti- corruption, etc, stakeholders were also enjoined to brace themselves up to deal with the issues bringing about delays in the implementation of the ECPF.

The ECPF Secretariat introduced directorates to the mapping tools to be used to assess contributions being made by stakeholders and partners including the reporting template for ECPF components, convergence principle, while updates given included the pledge by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to partner with the Commission in the implementation of the ECPF.

Among other reports and briefings, was also a presentation by Monitoring and Evaluation Unit on capacity building for ECOWAS Commission staff on result-based management and performance measurements.

There were also feedbacks from partners and other matters arising since  the last (ISC) in April 2016 with disclosures that the ECPF Secretariat has been working for the effective mobilization of financial resources for the implementation of ECPF activities leading to the development of a monitoring strategy for the ECPF reporting process among others

During the Meeting, the ECPF web portal www.ecpf.ecowas.int was also internally launched with a presentation outline and site tour. The Web Portal was developed in keeping with the desire to make the conflict prevention and peace building activities of ECOWAS, more visible to citizens of West Africa. It is also meant to be an information sharing tool and reservoir of the all-important matters of peace, security and conflict resolution.

Present at the meeting were representatives of Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Ludwig Kirchner, Mr. Peter Lassen of the Embassy of Denmark, Addis Ababa, Christian Gregaet, and Julian Brett (Danish Consultants) as well as Rene Taws Hansen from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also in attendance were the ECOWAS Director of Gender, Mrs. Sintiki Ugbe and phi Delia Amey, Adviser, GIZ Support to ECOWAS.

President de Souza gave the pledge on the 15^th of June 2016 at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja while receiving letters of credence from four ambassadors to Nigeria who are also concurrently accredited to ECOWAS.

The President’s Pledge is coming at a time when the sustenance of the excellent relations between ECOWAS and the development Partners have become pertinent towards the continuous nurturing and entrenchment of peace, stability and economic advancement in the region.

The ambassadors were H.E Stephane De Loecker (Kingdom of Belgium), H.E Dr. Gabor Ternak (Republic of Hungary), H.E Paul Lehmann (Australia), and H.E Haja Afsatu Olayinka Ebishola Kabba (Republic of Sierra Leone)

Conferring with the envoys separately after they were reciprocally handed the ECOWAS acknowledgement seals, President de Souza welcomed them warmly to the Commission while expressing the constant readiness of ECOWAS Commission and institutions to cooperate with them towards the accomplishment of their Mission in Abuja.

Expressing the gratitude of the Commission to the countries for their support and for having a set of shared values with ECOWAS, the President said ECOWAS is also willing to share experiences with the respective countries.

He harped on the need to take forward some of the integration projects and programmes particularly in the area of energy, transport and agriculture.

The ambassadors in their various responses expressed sincere thanks to President de Souza for the audience, the privilege of partaking in the symbolic ceremony  and restated the desire of their countries to continue to partner ECOWAS in specific as well as general areas where intervention is needed.

The President was supported in audience by the Vice President of the Commission H.E Edward Singhatey and senior officials of the Commission which included the Director of Cabinet Ambassador Abel Agbebleo, the representative of the Director, External Relations Mrs. Benita Tar and Legal Adviser Obii Onuoha.

Emerging from a 2-day capacity building workshop of ECOWAS Member States’ journalists which ended in Dakar, on Thursday, 23^rd June, 2016, participants recommended the setting up of a network to cater for the information need of Community citizens on renewable energy and related issues.

According to the participants, journalists trained by ECREEE should make the network inclusive by setting up mini-networks in Member States so as to have an extensive coverage of renewable energy issues.

Additionally, the participants called for the establishment of an online newsletter which will be devoted to publishing articles on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency with the collaboration of experts. The trainees also urged the ECOWAS Commission and ECREEE to produce short documentaries on Renewable Energy in key local languages to cater for citizens who cannot read and write the official languages.

Expressing their delight at the laudable initiative of the Executive Director of ECREEE, Mr. Mahama Kappiah and the ECOWAS Commission’s Director of Communication, Mrs. Sandra Oulate F. Elleingand to train journalists on Renewable Energy, participants urged the directors to facilitate the training of the remaining journalists from other countries who are scheduled to benefit from the second round of the workshop.

In his remarks, a Renewable Energy media expert Mr. Djimingue Nanasta, shared his experience in reporting issues relating to renewable energy and then encouraged participants to embrace and deepen their knowledge in the sector.  He told trainees that since renewable energy is becoming a topical issue in the region, when widely covered, it will bring favorable behavioral changes as well as play an important role in the region’s economic development.

During his presentation at the workshop, the Programme Coordinator of the ECREEE’s West Africa Clean Cooking Alliance (WACCA-ECREEE), Mr. Sire Diallo, told participants that actors across the value-chain must ultimately address the barriers preventing a viable market for clean cooking technologies in order to accelerate access to sustainable cooking energy. 

Mr. Diallo informed participants that the regional initiate is poised to bring about the required transformation despite the slow response to interventions in order to achieve the objectives of the region. Consequently, he urged ECOWAS Member countries to own the process.

Mr. Yori Handem, another Renewable Energy expert, during his presentation enlightened participants on the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship, a network which provides entrepreneurs information on Renewable energy funds established in 2015 by ECREEE in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), ZIE and the Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMI) and co-funded by IRENA and the government of Luxemburg.

Mr. Handem explained the benefits of the entrepreneurship as an accelerator for development and improvement of ECOWAS Renewable Energy entrepreneurs as well as a provider for free mentorship and training on business and technical related subjects which assists entrepreneurs in working their project proposals bankable.

Similarly, Mr. Sylla Elhadji, a Programme Officer with ECREEE presented key programmes focusing on the ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policies adopted in 2013 by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. Mr. Sylla explained that the objectives of ECREEE policies, among others, is to ensure that 100% of ECOWAS population have access to efficient, sustainable and modern cooking fuels and equipment by 2030.

Mr. Joarel Barros on behalf of the Communication Unit of ECREEE, presented some aspects of ECREEE’s 2015 – 2020 Communication Strategy, highlighting the important role journalists play in the dissemination of information and sensitizing the populace and then stressed the need for them to widely share the renewable energy news.

Participant visited the Senegalese Solar Energy Plant in Diamniadio, situated on the outskirt of Dakar.

The second round of the workshop will hold in Praia in November 2016.

The region’s considerable overall economic growth in recent years has not resulted in improvements in the life of vast numbers of children, many of whom still lack access to proper nutrition, basic healthcare, education, clean water and housing.

Since the publication of a UNICEF global study on childhood poverty in 2003, there has been an expansion of policies aimed at addressing the multiple factors that feed into the problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, in most countries, inequalities and social exclusion continue to fuel the persistence of high levels of child poverty.

“Child poverty is not only about monetary poverty, but about the actual deprivations children are experiencing,” noted UNICEF Regional Advisor on Social Policy Gustave Nebie, “Children have a right to education, healthcare, information, nutrition, housing, clean water and adequate sanitation. We must ensure our children are free from crippling deprivations today – and enable them to grow into the leaders we need for the future.”

The call to action issued today is the outcome of an International Conference on Child Poverty and Social Protection held at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, May 23 – 25. The conference was organised by ECOWAS, UNICEF and the ILO, along with academic networks Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) and Equity for Children. It was attended by 70 noted regional and global experts and academics.

As different Sub-Saharan countries battle a range of health and environmental crises, the negative effects on child welfare deepen and expand to varying degrees across the region. Epidemics such as Ebola, natural disasters including flooding and droughts, and armed conflicts can all counteract improvements that have been made. However, the experts noted at the conference, factors that can be addressed by economic policy, such as poor working conditions, low salaries and high unemployment, can actually have an even greater impact on child poverty. Putting policies in place that address these problems is critical to reducing child poverty and creating a better future, the experts said. They also highlighted the need for social protection measures such as providing cash grants and subsidies.

“Children are not only the most fragile layer in society, they are also the workforce of tomorrow,” said ECOWAS Commissioner Mamadou Traore, “We must put in place a roadmap for the development and adoption of sustainable policies for the eradication of child poverty and for effective and dynamic social protection in the region.”

Noting the significant role that development partners play in the region, the experts also called on them to place child rights at the forefront of the regional development agenda.

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For further information please contact:

Doune Porter, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Nigeria, Tel +234 (0)803 525 0273 dporter@unicef.org

Felix Fofana Nzue, Head Economic Policy Analysis Unit, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research Department, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria. +234 8169620518. felix.nzue@gmail.com

The technical experts meeting of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) opened in Abuja on the 13^th of July 2016 with the ECOWAS Commission suing for greater focus on the complex nature of drug use.

The meeting was convened among other aims, to drive home more support to the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, Related Organised Crime and Drug Abuse in West Africa.

Addressing the experts and participants drawn from member states, regional and international institutions and agencies as well as civil society organisations, Dr. Sintiki Ugbe, the Director of Gender Youth, Sports, CSO, Employment and Drug Control of the ECOWAS Commission, disclosed that owing to the complex and ever changing nature of drug and substance use and abuse, ECOWAS will love to have a situation where the challenge of lack of epidemiological data in the region is met.

Dr. Ugbe who represented Dr. Fatimata Dia Sow, Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission, said requisite studies, data collection and adequate follow ups on meetings have now become necessary in order to cope with the dynamics of the phenomenon of drug use.

Expressing delight at the availability of the experts and delegates, the Commissioner gave a progress report on the strides of WENDU from the ECOWAS perspective and noted among others that there now exists a United Nations project team at ECOWAS.

She further disclosed that the team has called for proposals aimed at supporting innovative measures to curb illicit drug use and prevention of same. A pilot project team has been raised in this regard. Burkina Faso, Liberia and Sierra Leone were named as beneficiaries in the first instance while studies are currently being compiled to advance the present state of work.

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) was commended for its role in establishing the network to coordinate epidemiology network in the region.

The UNODC Representative Ms Cristina Albertin noted that drug use has continued to be a major global health challenge while global drug markets continue to expand and diversify.

According to her while only few years ago, experts talked mainly about the production, trafficking and use of plant-based drugs such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine, the world is now assailed by a series of synthetic drugs, such as amphetamines as well as with the problem use of prescription drugs and a new category of so-called new psychoactive substances.

She added that although anecdotal evidence seems to suggest an increasing trend in drug use especially among young people in West Africa, available data are inadequate for the effective design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of prevention of demand reduction and treatment programmes.

UNODC is currently implementing a project to Support the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on illicit drug trafficking, organized crime related to it and drug abuse in West Africa, which is fully funded by the European Union.

The ECOWAS Commission is desirous of having a strong participation of stakeholders in the implementation of climate change decisions especially the Paris Agreement

To this end, the Commission through its Environment Directorate organised a capacity building workshop on climate change for West African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Media and the Private Sector between the 13^th and 15^th of June 2016 in Abuja.

Welcoming participants while opening the workshop, Mr. Tchambakou Ayassor Commissioner of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources of the ECOWAS Commission who was represented by Dr. Johnson Boanuh, the Director of Environment said that global scientific data on greenhouse gases still point to the main emitting sectors as energy, industry, forestry, agriculture and transport among others.

He added that the consequences of these changes are multifaceted and translate into droughts, Floods, recurrently affecting our populations, living environment, and place a risk on our capabilities of production and all efforts undertaken towards development at the regional level.

The Commissioner urged the stakeholders to use the opportunity of the workshop to reinforce the various actions conducted in the region to combat adverse effects of climate change with emphasis on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the climate funds made available at the global level. He also expressed his gratitude to the Swedish government for continuous support to the region and ECOWAS as an organization.

The meeting had focused on the analysis and understanding of the Paris Agreement on climate change adopted during the last Conference of Parties 21 (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in December 2015 in Paris, having also identified the opportunities provided by the Agreement and the roles to be played by stakeholders in its implementation.

The workshop also dealt extensively on climate major issues and challenges including llinkages with the sectors of economic development, international negotiations on climate change up to the Paris Agreement (and lessons learnt), legal aspects and implications of the Agreement on climate change as well as funding opportunities from the Climate Funds and the Green Climate Fund.

The presentations and interactive sessions helped the participants to deepen their understanding of the challenges of climate change including the outcomes and implications of the Paris Agreement while the group work and exercises were handy in identifying regional and national contributions and possible actions to be taken by participating stakeholders in the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change in West Africa.

Participants expressed the desire to further disseminate the knowledge gained among their partners and networks for wider involvement in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the common fight against climate change effects in West Africa.

The workshop was attended by representatives of West African CSOs, and media practitioners. There were also high level representations from the private sector which included the Executive Secretary of the Federation of Employers’ Organisations of West Africa as well as the President of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry.