The 2nd edition of
the anniversary of ECOWAS Week is scheduled to take place from 25 to 29 May
2016 in Ziguinchor, Cassamance.
A ten-man delegation from The Gambia is expected to participate in the event together with officials from other countries in West Africa.
The weeklong conference will be officially opened on Wednesday, May 25, with a public forum on the theme ‘Free movement of goods and people: A factor of peace, emergency and development in West Africa’.
On Thursday, May 26, there will be a public lecture on ‘Trade and food security in West Africa’.This particular event will be an opportunity to launch the African Centre for Trade, Integration and Development (ENDA-CACID) 2016 report on the state of trade in West Africa.
The activities will continue on Friday, May 27, with training on ECOWAS legal texts on regional integration and free movement of people and goods.The training will be conducted for local elected officials of major cities along the Banjul-Bissau corridor (Banjul, Douloulou, Bigona, Ziguinchor, Sao Domingo) and truck drivers.
The forum will climax on the celebration of the anniversary of ECOWAS Weeks on May 28.The day will be marked by popular and recreational activities.There will also be a regional integration football tournament.
The conference is coordinated by ENDA-CACID, initiator of the House of ECOWAS citizens.
Officials of ENDA-CACID said the ECOWAS Citizens House was launched in 2015.Through the collaboration of ECOWAS, the initiative aims to strengthen people’s integration process and free movement within the region.