NEWS
ECOWAS Regional Leaders Say Intergration Should Focus on Development
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Jun 25, 2008, 01:46

The thirty-fourth Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government which held in Abuja on 23^rd June 2008 has directed the ECOWAS Commission to concentrate on the development of regional infrastructure, particularly the development of energy and provision of  intra-Community rail, air and road links  as the catalysts for regional integration.

The summit designated Presidents Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire and Joao Bernardo Vieira of Guinea Bissau to coordinate the joint efforts of the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions in the development of regional infrastructure, transport and energy, respectively. The Heads of State and Government agreed to discuss the recommendations proposed by the two Heads of State during their next Summit and directed the ECOWAS Commission to deploy appropriate efforts towards the smooth implementation of the ECOWAS/UEMOA Joint White Paper on Regional Access to Energy as one of the key measures to accelerate the attainment of the MDGs in the region.It further called on partners to support regional efforts at mobilizing resources, particularly in attracting investments in the energy infrastructure development, which would facilitate the realization of the MDGs. They also expressed concern over the escalating food prices globally and its impact on the region’s economy. While the leaders expressed satisfaction with various initiatives at national and regional levels including the hosting of an extra-ordinary ministerial meeting to address this challenge, they called for the expeditious implementation of ongoing investments in the agricultural sector.

They further urged a redoubling of efforts “in domesticating the ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy and regional strategy for food security.”

The Authority also requested the ECOWAS Commission to continue dialogue with development partners and potential investors to complement regional and national initiatives. The summit also discussed the rising global oil prices and their potential adverse effects on the economies of Member States and therefore called on oil-exporting Member States “to show more solidarity with their non-oil exporting counterparts to help reduce the burden.” Reviewing the performance of the West African economy, the Authority noted with satisfaction the improved macroeconomic management and improved governance in member states. It further noted that this trend was sustained in the first half of 2008 despite the global financial turbulence and other negative external shocks on the regional economy, including the high oil and food prices. The Authority also stressed that the establishment of a Customs Union is a prerequisite for effective engagement of the European Union, including on the ongoing negotiation of the ECOWAS/EU Economic Partnership Agreement. It directed the ECOWAS Commission to expedite action on the introduction of a region-wide Common External Tariff (CET) and take all necessary measures to conclude a fair, balanced and development-oriented EPA that takes cognizance of the concerns of West Africa. In this regard, the regional leaders called for the strengthening of the integration process with the creation of a common market, the free movement of persons and the interconnection of infrastructure so that the EPA would become a tool for poverty reduction and development.

Furthermore, they called on ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions to harmonize the rules and mechanisms for the standardization and certification of products originating from the Community, towards facilitating intra-Community trade.

The summit also lauded efforts by the Commission to consolidate peace and good governance in the Community, particularly through the creation of the West African Network of Electoral Commissions. The summit noted the coming elections in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone and urged stakeholders to ensure that the elections were credible, transparent, free and fair. It however condemned the continued armed attacks against the legitimate security forces of Mali and Niger and welcomed the holding of a regional conference on the comprehensive development of the Sahel Sahara zone. It expressed satisfaction with a planned regional conference on drugs scheduled for October 2008 and called for the support of the UN Office on Drug Control (UNODC), the UN office in Guinea Bissau, the European Union and other partners in ensuring a successful conference. The Heads of State and Government expressed solidarity with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over the situation in the Niger Delta. It applauded the efforts of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for a comprehensive development of the area and called upon the militants to desist from acts of violence and embrace dialogue in addressing the problems of the area.