Ecowas, Development Partners Review Progress in Regional Integration Process

1 June 2011
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Abuja - Nigeria — The 8th Annual Coordination Meeting between ECOWAS and Development Partners opens at the ECOWAS Commission's headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, 2nd June 2011 focusing on major developments in the regional integration process, including achievements and challenges.

The President of the Commission, His Excellency James Victor Gheho, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations and the leader of the European Union Delegation are among key speakers at the two-day meeting. Representatives of development partners will be briefed on key activities and achievements of ECOWAS Departments over the past four years and also strategize with senior officials of the Commission's Directorates during thematic group sessions.

The discussion topics will include Status of the Regional Integration Process in West Africa and Medium-Term Prospects; Evolution of the Strategic Planning Process of the Commission: Achievements and Challenges; Status of the Community Decision-making Tool and the Role of the Development Partners in the ECOWAS Integration Process as well as Issues related to the Coordination and aid effectiveness.

Others are the Security Situation in West Africa: Electoral, Security and Humanitarian Challenges; Deepening of the Regional Integration Implementation of the Sectoral Policies, as well as Networking and Bilateral Discussions. ECOWAS, founded 36 years ago through the Treaty of Lagos to foster regional integration, has continued to earn and enjoy the respect and cooperation of numerous international partners, who meet annually with senior officials of the Community to review the progress oof the regional integration project.

In a related development, the ECOWAS Commission will, on the margin of the annual Coordination meeting, sign two separate financial agreements with the French Development Agency (AFD) in support of the ECOWAS Water Resources Coordination Centre (ECOWAS/WRCC) and to boost food security in the region.

The agreement to boost food security is worth 10,400,000 Euros, while the accord to support ECOWAS/WRCC is for 400,000 Euros. The President will sign the two agreements on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, along with Ambassador Jean-Michel Dumond, the French Ambassador to Nigeria accredited to ECOWAS, and Mr. Michel-Stanislas Villar, the AFD Deputy Country Director.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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