Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Stakeholders Chart a New Way Forward for the Implementation and Management ECOWAS Peace Fund

The Economic Community of West African States has convened a Joint Strategic Consultation Meeting with relevant partners and stakeholders to chart a new way forward for the implementation and management of the ECOWAS Peace Fund (EPF).

Established under Article 36 of ECOWAS 1999 Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, the ECOWAS Peace Fund is a support tool for ECOWAS activities in the areas of human security, conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security. Specifically, the Fund was established to assist in financing peace, security and humanitarian activities of ECOWAS.

During the 3-day Strategic Consultation Meeting held on 27- 29 August in Abuja, Nigeria, the Commission and its partners discussed the EPF mandate, its achievements, challenges and lessons learned; Peace Funding Mechanisms and Modalities; EPF’s 5 -Year Strategic Plan, objectives and priorities, and the European Union’s Peace Funding Mechanisms and Modalities, among other important issues.

Participants also highlighted the challenges facing the implementation and management of the ECOWAS Peace and shared innovative ideas on the way forward regarding how to enhance the operational efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the Fund for to achieve its overall objectives.

In his opening remarks to declare the meeting open, the Director, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Dr Cyriaque PAWOUMOTOM, who spoke on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau MUSAH, welcomed participants and enjoined them to come up with innovative and practicable ideas on areas of the ECOWAS Peace Fund which needed to be fine-tuned based on best global practices in order to make the Fund fit-for-purpose and more impactful. He noted that despite numerous challenges, the Commission has continued to make progress in supporting the consolidation of peace within the subregion.

In her presentation, Leila Ben Amor MATHIEU, Head of Human Development Section, Delegation of the European Union in Nigeria highlighted the EU’s mechanisms and facilities available for ECOWAS such as the INDICI, Africa Peace Facility/Early Response Mechanism, and the EU Peace Facility, among others. She expressed the EU’s willingness and commitment towards supporting the ECOWAS Peace Fund initiative.

Presenting the ECOWAS Peace Fund’s 5 -year Strategic Plan, the Fund Manager for the ECOWAS Peace Fund, Dieudonne Nikiema, said the Plan is the basis for the full operationalization and institutionalization of the EPF within the ECOWAS Commission. He stressed that the purpose of the Strategic Consultation Meeting was to bring stakeholders together to explore the best structure for the Peace Fund to enable it to fulfil its mandate and objectives.

“The 3-day Strategic Consultative Meeting has provided a good opportunity for ECOWAS and its partners and stakeholders to reflect together and cross-fertilise ideas on how to make the ECOWAS Peace Fund very strong in order to meet to the needs of our different Communities.”

In his closing remarks on behalf the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, the Director, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Dr Cyriaque PAWOUMOTOM, thanked participants and ECOWAS staff members for their participation in the highly productive and interactive consultative meeting.

He said, “We had three days of productive interactive meeting discussing how to make the ECOWAS Peace Fund work better. The objective is to make the fund more effective in supporting the funding of peace and security needs of our member states. The next step is for us to go to our decision-making bodies within the with all the necessary information that will enable them to take the necessary informed decisions based on the report from this strategic consultative meeting.”

ECOWAS was the first Regional Economic Community (REC) to set up a Peace Fund. Over the years, the ECOWAS Peace Fund has contributed to the materialization of programmes, projects and initiatives supporting ECOWAS peace and security agenda since its operationalization in 2006.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).