ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES COMMUNAUTE ECONOMIQUE DES ETATS DE L AFRIQUE DE L OUEST Statement of H.E Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, for the UN Office of the Special Adviser of Africa (OSAA) High-Level Expert group Meeting on 'Tackling the Socio-economic and Developmental Root Causes of Conflict Toward Achieving the Goal of a Conflict-free Africa in the Context of Implementation of the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Africa's Transformative Agenda 2063', Cairo, Egypt, 16th - 17th November 2015. Session Topic: Efforts of Affected Countries, the AU, RECS and Civil Society Organizations Towards Addressing the Socio-economic Causes of Conflict in Africa. Your Excellency, the Special Adviser of the U.N Secretary-General on Africa, Your Excellencies, the Heads of African Regional Economic Communities, Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, Heads and Representatives of Multilateral Organizations here present, Distinguished Academics, Civil Society Actors, and Members of the Diaspora, Ladies and Gentlemen, Permit me to, on behalf of the ECOWAS President, H.E Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, express the ECOWAS Commission's gratitude at being invited to the very important High-Level Meeting on a topic which is at the centre of the challenges being experienced across the continent and which threaten our collective well-being. It may be recalled that the West African region has experienced its share of civil wars and political crises, starting from the Liberian Civil War of 1989, the Sierra Leonean Civil War of 1991, Guinea Bissau's Civil War of 1998, the Cote d'ivoire Civil War of 2000, and the socio-political crises in Togo, 1
Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Niger and Mali from the 1990s till present. All the aforementioned civil wars and political crises were a direct consequence of socioeconomic issues such as ethnicity, disputes over scarce resources, endemic poverty, gross human rights abuse, and bad governance, to mention a few. Deriving from the lessons learnt in its interventions in the civil wars and political disturbances of the 1990s, ECOWAS adopted key normative frameworks which have been the bedrock of its peace and security architecture. These include, amongst others: 1) The Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security of 1999; 2) The 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; and 3) The ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and Other Related Materials of 2005, all constituted effective response mechanisms to the peace and security challenges that had ravaged the region throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. ECOWAS however realized that in a bid to end these threats and for it to achieve its raison d'être, it needed to devise means through which conflicts could be prevented from occurring in the first place. This led to the adoption of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) in 2008, with its core aim as strengthening of the human security architecture in West Africa. It has fifteen components which address both structural and operational conflict prevention issues in the region. The 15 components are: Early Warning, Preventive Diplomacy; Democracy and Political Governance; Human Rights and the Rule of Law; Media; Natural Resource Governance; Cross-Border Initiatives; Security Governance; 2
Practical Disarmament; Women, Peace and Security; Youth Empowerment; ECOWAS Standby Force; Humanitarian Assistance; Peace Education (Culture of Peace) and Enabling Mechanisms. Three of the key components are discussed hereunder: 1) Early Warning: Implementation of the national early warning and response mechanism. In order to enhance ECOWAS Member States capabilities to engage in the prevention, management and resolution of local and national low intensity conflicts, a bottom-up approach, which prioritizes citizen s engagement in the integration process is being institutionalised. The concept, as a way of reducing the gap between Alerts and Response, and as termed proximity policing, tends to deploy early warning and response at the grassroots level through the inexhaustible networks of Government and civil society peace actors. To thus end, the phenomenon of Children on the Street was identified as a case study in bridging the gap between alert and response. Given the huge negative impact of this phenomenon on socio-economic development of the ECOWAS region, the project is to fashion out a multi-pronged, holistic approach with strong systems and support structures towards the eradication of the phenomenon taking into consideration the religious and traditional misconception around it. It will also look at ways of enforcing existing legislation on child protection, child labour and trafficking and enacting new legislation where necessary. 2) Preventive Diplomacy: Aimed at operationalizing the relevant provisions of Article 58 of the Revised Treaty; Articles 3, 8-27, 31-32 of the Mechanism; and Article 36 of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; the objective of Preventive Diplomacy is to defuse tensions and ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes within and between Member States by means of good offices, mediation, conciliation and facilitation based on dialogue, negotiation and arbitration. Usually applied in the face of imminent crisis, preventive diplomacy is also applicable in the management, resolution and peace-building phases of conflict. The 3
ECOWAS Mediation and Facilitation Division (MFD) was established to backstop the High Level mediation efforts in the region. 3) Consolidation of democracy and good governance in West Africa remains a top priority for ECOWAS. This is accorded priority because ECOWAS strongly believes that good governance is one of the most critical elements of human security. To this end, the convergence principles are enshrined in the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, notably, Zero tolerance for power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means in keeping with Art. 1 (c) Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; Promotion of human rights and enhancing the rule of law Art. 1(h), Art. 33 and 35 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; Deepening of the process of succession from one government to another through the establishment of independent electoral commission Art. 3 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; Effectiveness of encouraging Member State to promote poverty alleviation and social dialogue as a tool for enhancing peace and regional security Art. 25; Building mediation facilitation processes to enhance peace and creating opportunity for after-office roles for out-going incumbents and former Heads of State ECPF Art. 49 (h) and 53 (m). Against the foregoing therefore, ECOWAS has continued its sustained drive to ensure that all ECOWAS Member States consolidate their democracies. In 2015 alone, major elections have been successfully conducted in Nigeria, Togo, Guinea, Côte d'ivoire, with Burkina Faso next on 29th November 2015. ECOWAS has actively supported these democratic processes by: deploying, in line with its 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Pre-election Fact-finding Missions; 4
deploying Long and Short Term Election Observation Missions; provided technical and financial support to Member States conducting major elections; and continuously providing capacity-building support for political parties and regional Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs); OTHER STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS OF ECOWAS Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, at the regional level, in response to the aforementioned threats to peace, security and stability in West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission adopted a number of practical measures based on the normative frameworks and are currently being implemented with a view towards addressing the socio-economic causes of conflicts in the sub-region with the aim of achieving peace, security and good governance. Thus, some of these measures include but not limited to: ECOWAS Counter terrorism Strategy, controlling proliferation of small arms through a legally binding Convention on SALW; implementing the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy and the Sahel Strategy. ECOWAS adopted a Counter terrorism Strategy which is human security oriented. Terrorism has also crippled economic and social activities in entire communities, thereby reversing development gains and democratic dividends hitherto being enjoyed by the people. Cooperation constitutes a centerpiece of efforts to prevent and combat terrorism as no single country is capable of combating terrorism singlehandedly. In the light of these circumstances, the fight against terrorism in West Africa has become a priority for all ECOWAS Member States. Effectively combating terrorism is synonymous with silencing the guns and can be achieved through institutionalization and consolidation of cross-border cooperation, robust exchange of intelligence/information, harmonizing legislation and to reinforce capacities of law enforcement and security operatives to chase criminals or potential terrorists across countries in West Africa. Significant achievements have been made through the coordination of platforms for intelligence-sharing, knowledge-sharing and implementation of key projects in the fight against maritime crimes, small arms proliferation and terrorism. On the 5
fight against Boko Haram, ECOWAS and ECCAS are working in close collaboration in order to eradicate this threat, with a Summit to be convened soon between the two Organizations in further efforts to develop synergies against this terrorist group. Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). GIABA is making concerted efforts to tackle the problems of money laundering and terrorism financing in active collaboration with Member States. Part of GIABA's initiatives in this regard include the adoption of a Strategic Plan (2011-2014) and capacity-building for stakeholders. The Sahel Strategy The Sahel Strategy contains such critical elements as Infrastructural Development, Food Security, Education and Security. It is being harmonized along with the other similar strategies developed by the EU and AfDB, among others. It s strategy follows an approach in line with national, continental and international efforts to improve security, stability and development of Sahel-Saharan Zones.. Thus, among others, to consolidate on regional responses to long-term development and stability challenges of Sahel-Saharan zone, while also promoting strong political dialogue with both North and Central Africa. However beyond regional strategies, it is important for member nations to pay attention to the right of belligerents, such as the rights of court-martialled soldiers to fair processes, and the right of vigilantes to disarm and be rehabilitated into the communities. Implementing the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy. In light of the enormous challenge, efforts have been made towards holistic fight against illicit maritime threats in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2018 and 2039 which called on the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and ECOWAS to collaborate against illicit maritime activities, and the 40 th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held in February 2012, which mandated the ECOWAS Commission to develop an Integrated Maritime Strategy. The ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy (EIMS) is designed to align with the 2050 African Integrated Maritime Strategy and other international standards and best practices, taking into consideration the peculiarities of the West African region. The EIMS which was adopted by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in 2014, together with its Implementation Plan, provides a regional 6
framework to improve maritime governance so as to increase social, economic and human security in West Africa and the entire Gulf of Guinea. The EIMS also forms the basis for the establishment of three Operational Maritime Zones and a Regional Maritime Coordination Centre in West Africa. In addition, ECOWAS with the technical support of France, in December 2012, initiated the setting up of a Strategic Maritime Cell to reinforce the capacity of the ECOWAS Regional Security Division in the maritime domain. The recent establishment of ECOWAS Maritime Zone E in 2015 which covers Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Niger adds an addition layer of regulation, capacity and equipment to complement the efforts of national governments in preventing, containing and combating illicit activities in the maritime zone. In conclusion, I must mention that ECOWAS is aware of its responsibility in ensuring that the implementation of the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Africa's Transformative Agenda 2063 are prioritized. Moreover, ECOWAS has supported efforts to domesticate UNRES 1325 in Member States as 13 out of 15 components already have National Action Plans on the Resolution. Also, in line with the efforts to operationalize the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) component of the ECPF, the Gender and Political Affairs Directorates have embarked upon capacity-building initiatives for women in mediation and electoral processes. It therefore welcomes these initiatives and remains eager to partner with fellow RECS, the AU and the UN system, in playing its role in ensuring that the very important goal of attaining a conflict-free Africa is achieved. I thank you very much for listening. 7