Two
days sub-regional consultations on ECOWAS Post 2020 Vision is currently
underway in Banjul at a local hotel in Senegambia.
The
two-day meeting brought together Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde and The
Gambia with a view to discussing on harmonising the findings of the National
Consultations and discuss opportunities and challenges peculiar to each in the
sub-region.
The
convergence, also attended by representative from GIZ, UNDP, UNECA and ADB will
also avail the participants the opportunities to ascertain the similarities in
the aspirations expressed by the ECOWAS people during the national
consultations.
Claudo
Kondor, political adviser from ECOWAS, recalled that the authority and heads of
state of governments of ECOWAS adopted a resolution in June 2007 referred to as
‘ECOWAS Vision 2020’ as vehicle to transform West Africa into borderless,
peaceful and prosperous region by 2020.
He
said all these years the vision has provided strategic orientation for the
design and implementation of policies, programmes, projects and activities of
ECOWAS.
“Now
that the year 2020 has come, the big question is vision 2020 really achievable in
the wake of multiple conflicts that overshadow and undermine ECOWAS ability to
effectively and efficiently deliver what should have been done, that was not
done at all in the face of these serious economic and political challenges.”
Mam
Cherno Jallow, principal programme officer, Programming, Planning and
Coordination of ECOWAS, on behalf of the vice president of ECOWAS, said the
vision document aims to express the aspirations of the West African people for
the next 25 to 50 years.
The
post 2020 vision document, he went on, will reflect the aspirations of the
people over the next 25 years. He maintained that ECOWAS seeks to promoting
cooperation and integration among its members, raise living standards of its
people, maintain and enhance economic stability and foster relationship among
its members.
The
ECOWAS vision, he continued, was adopted as a development blue-print for the
transformation of West Africa into a borderless, peaceful and prosperous region
by 2020. “The long-term vision has provided the strategic orientation for the
design and implementation of policies, programs, projects and activities of the
community for the last 13 years.”
Lamin
Jobe, the minister of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, on behalf of
the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, said the on-going work of ECOWAS
to develop post 2020 vision is a strong indication of the organisation’s
resolve to enhance the development of member states and to deliver on its
mandate as envisaged on vision of its founding fathers.
Minister
Jobe added that the process so far has been consultative and participatory.
“Different stakeholders in The Gambia including women and young people were
consulted during the assessment exercise. It’s my strong conviction that
finding of this assessment in The Gambia and other member states will strongly
inform the post 2020 vision of ECOWAS,” he stated.
He
added: “It will also help us build on some of the gains registered over the
years and also draft a robust strategy to address the lingering development
challenges.”
The
long-time vision once completed, he noted, will serve as a reference point for
the member states planning framework, thus enhance synergies and alignment
between members’ development efforts.
