Seminar on Evaluation of ERIES System Underway

As part of its mission to integrate the sub regional bloc of West Africa, the Economic States of West Africa (ECOWAS) early warning Department and its partners yesterday converged in Banjul for a two-day seminar to evaluate the Ecowas Regional Information Exchange System.

The "ERIES" communication network is established jointly by Ecowas and its partners the United Stated of America in order to enhance the Ecowas communication system between the commission and the 15 member countries.

During the two-day deliberations "members of the early warning unit are expected to discuss how members can expand its four regional bureaus, the members will also request from its partners to expand the location in order to link Ecowas and the ministry of information and that of the integration.

In her opening remarks the deputy permanent secretary Mrs Naffie Barry, on behalf of the Secretary for State for Trade Abdou Colley, elucidated that the mechanism "as it is called" provides the framework for Ecowas interventions in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia and mediation efforts in Togo, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry.

 "These experiences have once again underlined the importance of conflict prevention and the need for the sub region to expedite action in the full and effective operationalisation of the mechanism whose component activities are closely inter-related," claimed Mrs Barry.