Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was created by the Treaty of Lagos in Lagos, Nigeria, on May, 28, 1975. It had its roots in earlier attempts at a West African economic community in the 1960s and was spearheaded by Yakuba Gowon of Nigeria and Gnassigbe Eyadema of Togo. The primary purpose of ECOWAS is to promote economic trade, national cooperation, and monetary union, for growth and development throughout West Africa.   A revised treaty intended to accelerate the integration of economic policy and improve political cooperation was signed on July 24, 1993. It set out the goals of a common economic market, a single currency, the creation of a West African parliament, economic and social councils, and a court of justice. The court primarily interprets and mediates disputes over ECOWAS policies and relations, but has the power to investigate alleged human rights abuses in member countries. Membership There are currently 15 member countries in the Economic Community of West African States. The founding members of ECOWAS were: Benin, Cà ´te dIvoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania (left 2002), Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,  Sierra Leone, Togo, and  Burkina Faso  (which joined as  Upper Volta).  Cape Verde  joined in 1977; Morocco requested membership in 2017, and the same year Mauritania requested to rejoin, but the details have yet to be worked out. ECOWAS member countries have three official state languages (French, English, and Portuguese), and well over a thousand existing local languages including cross-border native tongues such as Ewe, Fulfulde, Hausa, Mandingo, Wolof, Yoruba, and Ga. Structure The structure of the Economic Community has changed several times over the years.  In June 2019, ECOWAS has seven active institutions: the Authority of Heads of State and Government (which is the leading body), the ECOWAS Commission (the administrative instrument), the Community Parliament, the Community Court of Justice, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID, also known as the Fund), the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA).  .  The treaties also provide for an advisory Economic and Social Council, but ECOWAS does not list this as part of its current structure. In addition to these seven institutions, specialized agencies in ECOWAS include the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency(ECREEE), The West African Power Pool (WAPP), ECOWAS BROWN CARD, ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC),  ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), and ECOWAS infrastructure Projects. Peacekeeping Efforts   The 1993 treaty also laid the burden of settling regional conflicts on the treaty members, and subsequent policies have established and defined the parameters of ECOWAS peacekeeping forces. The ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (known as ECOMOG) was created as a peacekeeping force for the civil wars in Liberia (1990–1998), Sierra Leone (1991–2001), Guinea-Bissau (1998–1999), and Cote DIvoire (2002) and was disbanded at their cessation.  ECOWAS does not have a standing force; each force raised is known by the mission for which it is created.   The peacekeeping efforts undertaken by ECOWAS are just one indication of the increasingly multifaceted nature of the economic communitys efforts to promote and ensure the prosperity and development of West Africa and the well-being of its people. Revised and Expanded by Angela Thompsell Sources Ecowas agrees to admit Morocco to West African body. BBC News, 5 June 2017.Francis, David J. Peacekeeping in a Bad Neighbourhood: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Peace and Security in West Africa. African Journal on Conflict Resolution 9.3 (2009): 87–116. Goodridge, R. B. The Economic Community of West African States, in  Economic Integration of West African Nations: A Synthesis for Sustainable Development. International MBA Thesis, National Cheng Chi University, 2006.Obi, Cyril I. Economic Community of West African States on the Ground: Comparing Peacekeeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, and Cà ´te dIvoire. African Security 2.2–3 (2009): 119–35. Okolo, Julius Emeka. Integrative and Cooperative Regionalism: The Economic Community of West African States. International Organization 39.1 (1985): 121–53. Osadolor, Osarhieme Benson. The Evolution of Policy on Security and Defence in ECOWAS, 1978–2008. Journal of t he Historical Society of Nigeria 20 (2011): 87–103. The Economic Community of West African States, official website