The 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that was held on 3 July 2022 in Accra, Republic of Ghana, says it took note of mitigation measures and building food systems resilience in West Africa and the strengthening of the resilience of food
systems in West Africa in the context of the current food crisis.
It also talked about the adoption of the ECOWAS Regional Climate Strategy and the ECOWAS
Climate Finance Access and Mobilization Strategy and regulations on the Regional Mechanism for the Prevention and Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses as well as the five regional
animal health strategies committee to work to achieve consensus on all the outstanding issues.
“Furthermore, the Authority, after commending the efforts made by regional institutions to achieve a legal framework regulating payment and settlement
systems within ECOWAS, adopted the additional Act on the legal framework of the ECOWAS Payments and Settlement System (EPSS).”
On human capital development, the Assembly took note of the adoption by the Council of the Gender
Transformative Human Capital Development Strategy (HCD), 2022-2032, which is
part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Integrated Human Capital Development (HCD) 2030 Strategy.
On implementation of other regional integration programmes regarding the promotion of the private sector, the Authority took note of the adoption by the Council of Ministers of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Charter 2021-2030 as
well as the ECOWAS strategy to promote the competitiveness of MSME at national and regional level; it also harmonized Stock Standards (FDHS 093:2020) to harmonize the current practices of stock manufacturers; ECOWAS Directive on the Labelling of Electrical Appliances.
Concerning the infrastructure development, the Authority adopts Supplementary Act XXX/06/22 amending Supplementary Act AS.17/02/12 relating
to axle load control in the ECOWAS region.
“With regard to education and science, the Summit welcomes the deliberation of the jury concerning the Support Programme for Research and Innovation (PARI) 2021 to award the prize to the Consortium led by Dr. Bernadin Jean Robert Klotoe,
integrating universities from Benin, Cabo Verde, Ghana and Nigeria.”
“Concerning obstacles to intra-community trade on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, the Authority welcomes the achievements by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), Dr. Mohammed Ibn
Chambas.”
“It instructs the Council to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force.”
Concerning Climate Change, the Authority appoints H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, as ECOWAS Champion of Climate Change. He is in charge, notably, of facilitating advocacy to Member States and
technical and financial partners for resources mobilisation, as previously agreed, for the implementation of ECOWAS Climate Actions. The advocacy would also be done for equitable energy transition.
