Pdf ecowas and the challenges of human security in west africa. Role of early warning systems in conflict prevention in. Pdf enhancing the operationalisation of the ecowas conflict. The economic community of west african states ecowas was founded in may 1975 for the purpose of fostering economic i cooperation among its original 16 member states.
Ecowas member states bear primary responsibility for peace and security. An overview wansed ecowas consultative meeting enhancing peace and security. By may 2011, all fifteen presidents in the countries belonging to the economic community of west african states ecowas, and the president of. Operationalizing the ecowas mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping, and security will assess these three issues in turn, as well as recommendations offered for improving the work of the ipaecowas task. Operationalizing the ecowas mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping, and security will assess these three issues in turn, as well as recommendations offered for improving the work of the ipa ecowas task force. Understanding ecowas efforts in promoting a governance agenda. The ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf includes a specific component on women, peace and security in line with unscr 25.
The african standby forces a solution to african conflicts. The ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf was adopted by the ecowas mediation and security council msc in january 2008 to provide a framework for identifying, designing and implementing programs and activities for operational and structural conflict prevention in ecowas member states. Responsibility to protect and ecowas mechanisms on peace and. This paper assesses the implementation of the media component of the framework in ghana a member state of the regional body.
Principles member states reaffirm their commitment to the principles contained in the charters. Considering article 3 paragraph 4 of the protocol ap11299 relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security, signed at lome, togo, on 10 december 1999. Eu conflict prevention, management and resolution in africa. Media practitioners were willing to create a network to. The revised treaty of ecowas and its supplementary protocols, which now form the contemporary framework for ecowass response to conflict prevention and management, is ultimately aimed at achieving longterm regional economic prosperity through regional stability. The first is the fact that there is interest in the ecpf document and its potential to help in the reduction of conflicts and improvement in human security. The role of ecowas in managing political crisis and conflict the cases of guinea and guineabissau. Reform of the security sector several task force members noted that a key to stability. Responsibility to protect and ecowas mechanisms on peace. A study on the state level awareness of ecowas conflict prevention framework in west africa benin, burkina faso, liberia and ghana. Three monitoring and evaluation functions are addressed within the framework of this manual. The economic community of west african states ecowas is a regional integration body. Conflict, conflict prevention, conflict management and beyond. Several initiatives have been undertaken by ecowas to promote conflict prevention since it was founded in 1975, it is important to raise a number of questions with regard to the ecpf.
Strategies and plan of action 15mb documents of individual institutions and agencies. It is a mixed bag of experiences that shows the diversity and complexity of mediating in this region. Lessons from the economic community of west african states ecowas find, read and cite. This study presents a political economy analysis of the economic community of west african states ecowas, focusing in particular on what drives and hampers this regional organisation in.
Abdelfatau musah conflict prevention adviser, ecowas. Thereafter, the section moves on to explore the overlapping and. Mindful of the protocol relating tothe mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security. Ecowas conflict prevention frameworkecpf telecoms supplementary acts. Ecowas and the challenges of human security in west africa. Abdelfatau musah conflict prevention adviser, ecowas c o n t e n t context of ecpf. Ecowas regional mechanism for conflict resolution provides a framework for regional. The aus adoption of a mechanism creating the psc in 2002 and the. Conversely, the book shows that ecowas has aggravated, if not created, new tensions in yet other cases. The role of ecowas in managing political crisis and. Governance transfer by the economic community of west african states ecowas declaration of political principles 1991 ecowas member states first introduced norms on human rights and democratic governance in july 1961 in the form of a nonbinding agreement.
International security sector advisory team issat as part of the search for a lasting solution to the numerous security problems that confront the west african subregion, the economic community of west african states ecowas, in 2008, adopted1 the ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf, to serve as strategic framework for improving conflict. Ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf telecoms supplementary acts. Together they formed the basis for the ecowas conflict and prevention framework 2008. Elections and stability in west africa november 2011 introduction africa has made significant gains on the path to democracy and, in theory, recent elections in west africa have made power accessible to all. Ecowas attempts at intervention in these three countries became the testing ground and at the same time, the raison d. An overview wansedecowas consultative meeting enhancing peace and security. In 2015, the au endorsed its structural conflict prevention framework, which described. Part iii covers the institutional mechanisms for implementation. The combination of good knowledge of the actual circumstances on the ground and a good overview of available conflict prevention tools and approaches can help strengthening the conflict prevention potential of long.
West african countries signed the treaty for an economic community of west african states treaty of lagos on 28 may 1975. Ecowas conflict prevention framework european development fund ecowas gender development centre economic partnership agreement ecowas peace fund. Conflict prevention regional stability several initiatives have been undertaken by ecowas to promote conflict prevention since it was founded in 1975, it is important to raise a number of questions with regard to the ecpf. The study concluded that the ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf which is the organizations primary means of promoting human security in the region has the capacity to ensure the regions. From the broader topic of african peace and conflicts, this paper will look only into the institutional framework of the. Implementing the ecowas conflict prevention framework. This section includes, but is not limited to, an overview of research on conflict prevention and conflict management, including related concepts such as preventive diplomacy, culture of prevention, and crisis management. It is designed to ensure optimal centralisation of data collection. The role of the economic community of west african states. Draft ecowas counterterrorism strategy and implementation plan. Enhancing the operationalisation of the ecowas conflict prevention framework. The ecowas monitoring and evaluation system introduction the monitoring and evaluation system for all ecowas institutions is a flexible mechanism capable of harmonising the different systems internal to each ecowas department, institution and structure. African agency in peace, conflict and intervention at the university of birmingham 7th april, 2011 introduction the economic community of west african states ecowas was established in 1975 by developing west african states as part of their strategy to promote economic development and prosperity for their respective countries. Enhancing the operationalisation of the ecowas conflict.
Mindful of the ecowas treaty signed in cotonou on 24 july 1993, notably its article 58. Ecowas counterterrorism strategy economic community of. Part ii covers the policy vision, statement, objectives, scope and principles, in addition to the focus areas, strategies and priorities for action under the policy. Operationalizing the ecowas mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping, and security will assess these three issues in turn, as well as recommendations offered for improving the work of the ipaecowas task force. The economic community of west african states ecowas has recently completed a lengthy process of developing a regional conflict prevention framework to guide the conceptualisation, implementation and evaluation of conflict prevention initiatives in the. Pdf enhancing the operationalisation of the ecowas. Learning through experience by takwa zebulon suifon introduction in the framework of the capacitybuilding programme for conflict prevention and good governance for ecowas and civil society organizations in west africa, wanep was. However, assteps are taken under thenewecowas strategic vision to transform the region from an ecowas ofstates into an ecowas of the peoples, the tensions between sovereignty and.
Ecowas counterterrorism strategy and implementation plan. The economic community of west african states ecowas has, over the years, proven its capacity to undertake successful conflict prevention, peacemaking and conflict resolution under the protocol relating to the mechanism for. The study in the four ecowas member states benin, burkina faso, ghana and liberia has provided interesting perspectives. Analysis of ecowas institutional framework for conflict. The concept paper series is the joint centers paper series addressing topics and concepts of foremost importance for understanding the dynamics of. At the end of the workshop, the journalists expressed a strong desire to improve their collaboration with the ecowas commission in the areas of peace building and conflict prevention. Ecowas, icrc validate plan of action for implementation of.
Request pdf on nov 1, 2019, jara cuadrado and others published opportunities for conflict prevention. While conflict management focuses on armed aspects of conflict, conflict prevention endeavors to contain and resolve imminent conflicts by responding to visible signs and indicators. In africa, the postcold war era has witnessed a shift in emphasis from conflict management to conflict prevention. Regional integration for growth and poverty reduction in west africa. Pdf ecowas and the challenges of human security in west. The economic community of west african states ecowas was established in 1975 by developing west african states as part of their strategy to promote economic development and prosperity for their respective countries. The role of ecowas in managing political crisis and conflict. In addition, the adoptions of the protocol, relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security in december 1999 and the ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf in 2008, among other protocols, have helped enhance and affirm ecowas role as a key player in conflict prevention and resolution. There is hereby established within the economic community of west african states ecowas, a mechanism for collective security and peace to be known as mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security. We, the heads of state and government of the economic community of west african states ecowas.
In 2015, the au endorsed its structural conflict prevention framework, which described the continental structural conflict prevention. Understanding ecowas efforts in promoting a governance. Its founding fathers felt that the organization would spearhead the process of resolving some of west africas development. Affairs and of experts to launch the operational framework for the. Conflict prevention, management and resolution, peacekeeping and security, which has become the ecowas foundational regional security framework, ecowas leaders in 2001 signed the protocol asp11201 on democracy and good governance supplementary to the protocol establishing the mechanism for conflict prevention, management and. All stakeholders in west africa are keen to see the acceleration of the implementation of women, peace and security agenda in west africa, taking.
Ecowas political declaration and common position against terrorism ecowas political declaration and common position against terrorism we, the heads of state and government of the economic community of west african states ecowas. The plans of action poa of the economic community of west african states ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf are to be launched on monday, the 28 th of january 2019 at the ecowas commission headquarters, in abuja, nigeria the ecpf comprises 15 components including its enabling mechanism which is at the heart of. Ecowas and the dynamics of conflict and peacebuilding. Assessment of ecowas interventions in guinea bissau. However, following widespread conflict and instability in the subregion in the. To promote good governance and improve on the mechanism for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and security. Ecowas launches plans of action for its conflict prevention. Mindful of the protocol relating tothe mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security signed in lome on 10 december1999. Enhancing the operationalisation of the ecowas conflict prevention framework workshop report.
In concluding, the article points to institutional and legal advancements like the ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf and the growing emphasis on democratization and responsible governance as evidence of ecowas policymakers having learned some lessons from years of tortuous conflict management. First, how relevant is the ecpf in respect of conflict prevention. The ecowas conflict prevention framework 6 section ii. Lessons from the economic community of west african states ecowas. The revised treaty of ecowas and its supplementary protocols, which now form the contemporary framework for ecowas s response to conflict prevention and management, is ultimately aimed at achieving longterm regional economic prosperity through regional stability. The economic community of west african states ecowas was established in 1975 with the formal aim of promoting economic cooperation between 15 countries with different historic trajectories colonisation, language, and administrative cultures yet sharing similar socioeconomic conditions. Conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security, mandated the development of effective policies that will help alleviate the suffering of the population and restore life to normalcy after complex humanitarian emergencies and disasters. The economic community of west african states ecowas is a regional group of sixteen countries, founded in 1975. The plans of action poa of the economic community of west african states ecowas conflict prevention framework ecpf are to be launched on monday, the 28 th of january 2019 at the ecowas commission headquarters, in abuja, nigeria the ecpf comprises 15 components including its enabling mechanism which is at the heart of reinforcing intra ecowas cooperation and. Ecowas conflict prevention framework was held from 24 november, 2016 at the ecowas parliament.
Management of electoral and post electoral tensions in 2005 and. Operationalizing the ecowa s mechanism for conflict. The economic community of west african states ecowas has recently completed a lengthy process of developing a regional conflict prevention framework to guide the conceptualisation, implementation and evaluation of conflict prevention initiatives in the commission and member states. Ecowas mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution, peacekeeping and security the genesis of the ecowas conflict mechanism can be found in the inadequacy of the previously.