ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES COMMUNAUTE ECONOMIQUE DES ETATS DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST ECOWAS HEADQUARTERS: 6, KING GEORGE V ROAD, P. M. B. 2745 LAGOS (NIGERIA) TELEPHONE: 636839, 63684, 636064, 630398 SECRETARIAT CEDEAO SIEGE: 6, KING GEORGE V ROAD P. M.B. 2745 LAGOS (NIGERIA) TELEPHONE: 636839, 63684, 636064, 63039! SECRETARIAT Ref.No. 9 PRESS RELEASE Below is the text of the Final Comnunicjue issued at the end of the Twelfth Session of the Authoity of Heads of State and Govenment held at Ouagadougou fom 29 to 30 June 989: FINAL,COMMUNIQUE The Authoity of Heads of State and Govenment of the Economic Communitv of West Afican States (ECOWAS) held its Twelfth Odinay Session at Ouagadougou, Bukina Faso, on 29th and 30th June, 989, unde the Chaimanship of His Excellency Alhaji Dawda Kaiaba JAWARA, Pesident of the Republic of The Gambia. 2. Pesent at the Summit wee the following Heads of State and Govenment and othe accedited epesentatives: - His Excellency Geneal Mathieu KEREKOU, Chaiman of the Cental Committee of the People' Revolutionay Paty of Benin, Pesident of the Republic, Head of State, Pesident of the National Executive Council, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BENIN. - His Excellency Captain Blaise C0MPA0RE, Chaiman of the Popula Font, Head of State, Head of Govenment, BURKINA FASO. - His Excellency Alhaji Si Dawda Kaiaba JAWARA, Pesident of the Republic of The GAMBIA.
. '': ;:. :.:.,. '.'':)".--..> i.. : "' ' :' i :; "' -;.-v..',. :;!.. ;..: v.. ;;..,, ; h I : -. ; -...- ' " :!'J 'f k:v y!. -\. ; f»< n '.} ' &»?.' vyi ;. ; ;- j...i:-;i,i; ; «).; '-' ' ' ':iw:! ko. "."[J --IS.,. i.'-, ; «, ;.:. I'i.. :.''. -.' " -,; < i. -.' t.."j ; :.]..-... ' : ^^m^^km^h,{u : " L J ;. v" ;, -
- 2 - - His Excellencv Geneal Joao Benado VIEIRA, Pesident of the Republic of GUINEA BISSAU. - His Excellencv Geneal Moussa TRAORE> Secetay-Geneal of the Malian People's Democatic Union, Pesident of the Republic of MALI. His Excellencv, Colonel Mouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA, Chaiman o; the Militay Committee fo National Salvation, Head of State of the His Excellencv Geneal Ali SAIBOU, Pesident of the Oientation, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA. Supeme Council of National Head of State of the Republic of NIGER. His Excellency Geneal Ibahim Badamasi BABANGIDA, Pesident, Commande-in-Chief of the Amed Foces of the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. His Excellencv M. Abdou DIOUF, Pesident of the Republic of SENEGAL. His Excellencv Geneal Gnassingbe EYADEMA, Founde-Chaiman of the Togolese People's Rally, Pesident of the TOGOLESE REPUBLIC. The Honouable M. Pime Ministe, Pedo Veona Rodigues PIRES, Repesenting His Excellency M. Aistides Maia PEREIRA Pesident of the Republic of CABO VERDE. * The Honouable M. Mauice Sei GNOLEBA, Ministe of State, Repesenting His Excellency M. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY, Pesident of the Republic of COTE D'lVOIRE.
-
- 3 - - The Honouable D. Kwesi SOTCHWEY, PNDC Secetay fo Finance and Economic Planning, Repesenting His Excellency, Flight-Lieutenant Jey John RAWLINGS, Chaiman of the Povisional National Defence Council and Head of State of the Republic of GHANA. - The Honouable M. Edouad BENJAMIN, Ministe of Planning and Intenational Coopeation, Repesenting His Excellency Geneal Lansana CONTE, Chaiman of the National Recovey Committee, Pesident of the Republic of GUINEA, Head of State. - The Honouable D. Elijah E. TAYLOR, Ministe of Planning and Economic Affais, Repesenting His Excellencv, D. Samuel Kanvon DOE, Pesident of the Republic of LIBERIA. - The Honouable D, Sheka H. KANU, Ministe of National Development and Economic Planning, Repesenting His Excellency Majo-Geneal D. Joseph Saidu MOMOH, Pesident of the Republic of SIERRA LEONE. I 3. Attending the ECOWAS Summit as a Special Guest was His Excellencv Geneal Ande KOLINGBA, Pesident of the Cental Afican Republic and cuent Chaiman of the Assembly of the Economic Community of Cental Afican States (ECCAS). 4. Attending the Twelfth Session as Obseves we e: - The Secetay Geneal of the Oganisation of Afican Unity (OAU) - The Vice-Pesident of the Afican Development Bank - The Executive Secetay of the West Afican Cleaing House (W.A.C.H.) - The Pesident, Fedeation of West Afican Cahmbes of Commece (F.W.A.C.C.) - The Pesident of ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORP. - The Goveno of the Cental Bank of West Afican States (BCEAO)
iwotos: i i -.
- 4 - - The Pesident of the West Afican Development Bank (BOAD) - The Secetay Geneal, West Afican Economic Community (CEAO) - The Secetay Geneal of O.C..G.E. - The Secetay Geneal of the Afican, Caibbean and Pacific (ACP) Goup - The Executive Secetay of CILSS - The Secetay Geneal of the Confeence of Ministes of Youth and Spots - The Secetay Geneal of the Liptako-Gouma - The Executive Secetay of the Inte-State Committee fo Wate Studies (CIEH) - The Diecto of ECA/MULPOC - The Diecto of the Economic Community fo Livestock and Meat (CEBV) - The Diecto of the Remote Sensing Cente of Ouagadougou (CRTO) - The Chaiman, ECOWAS Ambassados in Bussels - The Chaiman, ECOWAS Ambassados and High Commissionnes in Lagos. - The Repesentative of UNIDO - The Repesentative of PANA - The Repesentative of the Islamique Development Bank (I.D.B.) - The Repesentative of WARDA. F I. REVIEW OF THE WEST AFRICAN ECONOMY 5. In eviewing the economic situation in the sub-egion, Heads of State and Govenment ageed that in spite of the detemined and sustained national effots at economic ecovey and stuctual adjustment, the situation continued to be a souce of geat concen. The depessed commodity pices, the excuciating debt sevice buden, continued balance of payments deficits, inadequacy of intenational development assistance, potectionist policies of industialised counties, natual disastes such as dought, desetification, locust invasioneosion and flooding have combined to cutail most seveely
5 - the ability of ECOWAS Membe States to implement thei national economic ecovev and efom pogammes, ehabilitate existing infastuctue, finance citical impots, not to mention new develop ment pojects so vital fo ecovev and gowth. These developments, coupled with the fact that the intenational economic landscape was inceasingly being dominated bv a esugence of economic egionalism, including in paticula the pospect of a single integated Euopean maket being established in 992, compelled then to take all necessay measues to evitalise and intensify thei own integation pocess in the sub-egion. Heads of State and Govenment ageed that, as a fist step in this diection, all Membe States must take ugent action to implement in thei domestic juisdictions all existing Community Acts and Decisions. X' IMPLEMENTATION OF ECOWAS ECONOMIC RECOVERY PROGRAMME 6. The Authoity took note of the pogess epoted on the implementation of the ECOWAS Recovey Pogamme by the Meeting of Ministes of Planning and endosed the poposals fo moe egula consultation among national policy-makes with a view to achieving bette coodination and a moe egionallyoiented appoach to national economic management. The Authoity accepted the Ministes ecommendation that pioity should be given to the implementation of egional pojects and national pojects with a high egional impact contained in the investment pogamme. III. WEST AFRICA AND EUROPE 992 7- The Authoity expessed the need to monito the comple tion of the ceation of the single integated Euopean maket, and diected the Executive Secetay to undetake an in-depth study on the implications of the Single Euope Act fo the West Afican economy and to submit appopiate poposals on how the Community and Membe States can best espond to the expected changes.
I- " *; I
- - 6 - IV. WEST AFRICAN INDEBTEDNESS 8. In view of the inceasing indebtedness of ECOWAS Membe States, almost all of whom ae "debt-distessed", the Authoity ageed that the Community should pess fo absolute debt eduction packages fo Afican counties. In this context, Heads of State and Govenment welcomed the ecent debt cancellation packages announced by some of the industialised counties and, bv a Resolution; called on all cedito Govenments and Institu tions to emulate these magnanimous gestues and put togethe a compehensible debt elief package fo ECOWAS Membe States. V. NINTH REPLENISHMENT OF IDA 9. The Authoity adopted a Resolution addessed to the intenational dono community, and especially to the Goup of Seven, to contibute geneously to the Ninth Replenishment of the Intenational Development Association (IDA-9) with a view to binging it to at least the level of IDA-8 in eal tems, and ensue that Afica's cuent shae of 50 pe cent of IDA esouces is at least maintained unde IDA-9. This is necessay in ode to help sustain the efom pogammes being implemented by Afican counties. VI. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF MEMBER STATES 0. The Authoity consideed a ecommendation fo the adoption of a new assessment fomula fo contibutions by " Membe States to the Budgets of the Institutions of the Community. In view of its implications, the Authoity decided to establish a Committee of Five compising Ghana, Guinea, Nige, Nigeia and Togo to negotiate the new assessment fomula. The Committee was equested to endeavou to complete its wok befoe the end of 989. The Committee's ecommendations would be consideed by the Authoity at its Thiteenth Session in 990 and, if adopted, would apply as fom Januay 99.../..
: :.- ]..:
- 7 -. In aiving at this decision, the Authoity was conscious of the fact that contay to the povisions of the Potocol on Contibutions, which stipulate fo a tiennial eview of the assessment fomula, no such eview had been done since 976. It was also acknowledged that the new assessment co-efficient should be the poduct of negotiations as was the case in 976. 2. In the meantime, the Authoity called upon all Membe States with outstanding balances in thei contibutions to liquidate these balances without futhe delav and, in any case, befoe the end of June 990. Those Membe States unable to settle all thei aeas immediately must pay such aeas in equal quately instalments ove a peiod of one yea beginning fom Julv 989. 3. The Executive Secetay was diected to monito the implementation of this decision and to epot to the Authoity at its Thiteenth Session. VII. IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY ACTS AND DECISIONS 4. The Authoity ecognised that the development of the Community has eached such a citical conjunctue that thee is now a pessing need to consolidate its achievements, as well as pioitise and e-oientate its activities, with a view to giving them a shape focus and diection. To this end, the Authoity decided that Membe States which have not yet done so, should take ugent action to atify all outstanding Potocols and Conventions without futhe delav ands in anv event, not late than 3 Decembe, 989, bv which date the instuments of atification should have been deposited with the Executive Secetaiat. VIII. COMMUNITY CO-OPERATION PROGRAMMES 5. With a view to giving the Community's activities a shape focus, the Authoity ageed that in the yeas immedia-
;
- 8 - telv ahead, the Community's Institutions should accod the highest pioity to the pomotion and expansion of inta- Communitv tade and elated tade-development sub-sectos like the monetav co-opeation pogamme, the fee movement of pesons and goods, tade libealisation scheme, economic ecovey pogamme, and pogammes in agicultue and industy. 6. With egad to the tade libealisation scheme fo industial poducts oiginating fom Membe States, the Authoity decided that Januay 990 shall be the take-off date fo the scheme. 7 In this connection; the Authoity appealed to the Membe States whose industial entepises and poducts have been appoved to make pompt payment into the Compensation Budget, in any event not late than 3 Decembe 989. IX.- FREE_M0VEMENTJDF_P_FjRSONS 8 The Authoity expessed a vey stong commitment to the pinciple of fee movement of Community citizens acoss national fonties. It was acknowledged that such movement constitutes the bedock of the integation pocess and theefoe called on all Membe States to take appopiate measues to emove all obstacles and impediments to the fee movement of Community citizens- 9. At Community level, the Authoity appoved the ecommen dations of the Banjul Meeting of ECOWAS Ministes of Intenal Affais and adopted a Supplementay Potocol which povides fo the establishment of fact-finding missions to investigate complaints of systematic o goss violations of the Potocol on fee movement of pesons. - 20. At national level, the Authoity equested all Membe States to pint without futhe delay the ECOWAS Tavel Cetificate fo use by thei citizens; establish and intensify pogammes fo educating and sensitising thei
- - I T
- 9 - immigation officials on the povisions of the Potocols; and disseminate infomation among thei citizens and set up public enlightenment campaigns. To facilitate this, it was equested that the povisions of the Potocols should be tanslated into national languages. 2. Futhemoe, the Authoity called on Membe States to take all necessay measues to pevent and stop violations of the Potocols as well as avoid taking any unilateal action that might impede thei smooth implementation. 22. The Authoity also equested Membe States to conside setting up within thei domestic juisdiction special commi ssions fo the pomotion and potection of the ights of Community citizens unde the Potocols. X. THE_ENHANCEMENT OF" THE RESOURCES OF THE ECOV/AS FUND 23. Recalling the decision taken at its Lome Meeting in 988, in which it had conditionally accepted the pinciple of enhancing the esouces of the ECOWAS Fund, including the opening-up of its capital to non-egional paticipation, the Authoity decided to establish a Six-Membe Ad Hoc Ministeial Committee compising of Bukina Faso, Cote d'lvoie, Ghana, Nige, Nigeia and Togo to exploe the possibilities of mobi lising maximum esouces in collaboation with non-egional patnes. XI' APPOINTMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 24. The Authoity atified the appointment of D. Abass BUNDU as the Executive Secetay of ECOWAS. XII HEADQUARTERS OF WEST AFRICAN WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION 25. The Authoity appoved the choice of the Republic of Senegal as the seat of the Headquates of the West Afican Women's Association (WAWA).
. : ' ' i -', I'll I i. '.: ' i : :. ' ' - 7. ;i '
I - 0 - XIII. FEDERATION OF WEST AFRICAN ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE_ ADVANCEMENT OF HANDICAPPED PERSONS 26. The Fedeation of West Afican Associations fo the Advancement of Handicapped Pesons was accoded fomal ecogni tion by the Authoity and ganted obseve status within the Institutions of the Community. XIV. PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON TERRORISM F 27. In the context of safeguading the pinciple of fee movement of Community citizens, the Authoity consideed a poposal fo the adoption of a esolution on the pevention of teoism in the sub-egion. In view of its legal and othe technical implications, it was efeed to the Govenments of Membe States fo futhe consideation. XV. VOTE OF THANKS 28. The Authoity expessed its sincee gatitude to His Excellencv Captain Blaise COMPAORE, Chaiman of the Popula Fcnt; Head of State, Head of Govenment and to the Bukinabe Govenment and People fo the vey wam welcome extended to all delegations and fo the excellent facilities made available to ensue the success of the ECOWAS Statutoy Meetings. XVI. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN 29. The Authoity elected Bukina Faso as its Chaiman fo the vea 989/990. XVIII. VENUE AND DATE OF NEXT SUMMIT 30. The Authoity accepted the invitation of the Republic of The Gambia to hold its Thiteenth Session in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia at a date to be communicated late. DONE AT OUAGADOUGOU THIS 30TH DAY OF JUNE 989.