Abuja, February 21, 2017
The Internal Steering Committee (ISC) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) met at the ECOWAS in Abuja on the 16th February 2017 where stakeholders proposed pragmatic areas of intervention in the ECPF processes, among others.
The main objective of the meeting was to review, validate and adopt the report of a consultant recruited by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on a comprehensive evaluation of the operationalization of the ECPF for the period of 2013 – 2016 while proposing programmatic areas for intervention in the period 2017-2020.
Participants discussed in great detail, the report of the GIZ consultant and agreed on the importance of including Women, Peace and Security, Media and Natural Resource Governance Components as priority programmatic areas for the 2017 – 2020 Plan of Action of the ECPF.
After deliberating on the recommendations of the Consultant, areas of intervention and the need to chart a way forward to consolidate ownership, implementation and monitoring of the ECPF 3 Year Priority Plans, presentations were made on follow-up actions stemming from the last meeting, key developments from Focal Point Directorates, findings of the evaluation of the ECPF as well as on actions taken on the report.
Welcoming the participants to the meeting, the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Aderemi Ajibewa recalled the positive developments in The Gambia which resulted from the effective coordination and collaboration between ECOWAS and the International Community. He noted that the ECOWAS space is gradually becoming a Community of Democracies, due largely to the political will of its leaders, and solid normative frameworks that include Mechanisms such as the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and the ECPF.
He thanked the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), GIZ and the Development Partners for making the ECPF a reality, funding of the consultant’s work and for their continued assistance to the Commission.
Participants were reminded by the Head of the ECPF Secretariat, Mr. Constant Gnacadja to visit the official website of the ECPF (ecpf.ecowas.int) in order to receive up-to-date information on the conflict prevention programmes/activities as well as on and Development Partners supporting the ECPF.
The Participants agreed on the need to plan a validation meeting and develop an implementation strategy for the execution of the report’s recommendations.
The ISC meeting is also being convened to review, validate and adopt the report of a consultant recruited by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on a comprehensive evaluation of the operationalization of the ECPF for the period under review which ended in June 2016 while proposing programmatic areas for intervention in the period 2017-2020.
The evaluation of the operationalization of the ECPF was necessitated by the end of the timeframe for the ECPF Plans of Action (2012 – 2017), which captured the programmes and activities of each ECPF Component, the implementing ECOWAS Directorates as well as technical/financial support of Partners.
Apart from validating the report on the evaluation of the operationalization of the ECPF, the ISC will brief all stakeholders on the consolidated Partner Contribution Template for 2016 and discuss the ECPF priority programmes for 2017 – 2020.
Since the last ISC meeting, the ECPF Secretariat has taken steps towards the effective mobilization of financial resources for the ECPF Focal Point Directorates and the development of monitoring strategy for the ECPF reporting process.
The ISC was raised in 2010 to oversee and coordinate the ECPF implementation process within the ECOWAS Commission and with all stakeholders. It is expected to provide direction to all ECOWAS Departments that are involved in the ECPF implementation process, ensuring that synergies between existing and new ECPF Action Plans are created and duly utilized.
Abuja 25th November, 2016Radio journalists in West Africa are gearing up to embrace Conflict Prevention norms by keying into the peace building approaches prescribed by the Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) Department through the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF).
The journalists, who concluded a one-day Workshop titled, “Strengthening Media Capacity in Conflict Transformation in West Africa: Sensitization Workshop the ECPF with Radio Journalists in West Africa”, which was held at the ECOWAS Parliament, Abuja on the 24th of November 2016, were put through modules and interactive sessions meant to enhance their capacities to understand and inform the public about ECOWAS policies and activities in regional integration, democracy, peace and security.
In addition, the participants were introduced to the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF), which serves as a guide for enhancing cohesion and synergy on conflict prevention and peace building initiatives in Member States.
Welcoming participants drawn from ECOWAS Member States to the workshop, the ECOWAS Director, Political Affairs Dr. Aderemi Ajibewa enjoined them to be collaborators in the renewed efforts at creating a more peaceful environment in West Africa.
Speaking through Programme Officer, Conflict Prevention, Mr. Constant Gnacadja, he stressed the importance of raising the level of awareness of the targeted journalists’ group on the strides being made by ECOWAS to prevent conflict and boost human development in the region.
The journalists were urged to create more awareness of the ECPF among Community citizens and be partners in actualizing the objectives of the Media Component of the ECPF in the face of emerging trends in conflict transformation.
As part of the Workshop proceedings, the radio journalists were given a tour of the ECPF Web Portal (www.ecpf.ecowas.int) while the kernel of the evolving ECPF communication strategy being strengthened in collaboration with the ECOWAS Communication Directorate was unfolded. This was supported by an intervention on conflict sensitive reporting as well peace building best practices for journalists.
Presentations were made on the synthesis of studies on the ECPF carried out by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) as well as the Goree Institute.
Other presentations included those by the Expert Consultant of the Workshop, Executive Director of the Kukah Centre for Faith, Leadership and Public Policy, Dr. Arthur-Martins Aginam which bordered on how to popularize and sensitize member states on ECPF as well as strategies for ECOWAS-Media Technical Cooperation.
Wrapping up, the Journalists expressed a strong desire to improve their collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission in the areas of peace building and conflict prevention.
Among the strategies suggested by them for the increased visibility and advocacy for the ECPF in Member States were the creation of a network of journalists on the theme of the workshop, involvement in large scale sensitization campaigns as well as appropriate follow ups and tracking of success stories on peace building in Member States.
The Workshop participants were drawn from reputable national and international media outfits across ECOWAS Member States and backed by senior and programme officers as well as focal points from strategic directorates.
The Internal Steering Committee (ISC) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) has upped the ante in bringing every Component and stakeholder of the Framework on board towards its smooth implementation.
To this end, the ISC met with Focal Points, officers of stakeholder components as well as representatives of the Development Partners at the ECOWAS Commission on the 11th of April 2016 to brief them on the steps taken by the ECPF Secretariat to fulfil vital recommendations and on the way forward on the operationalization of the ECPF with a view of having a more stable, conflict-free region where the envisaged greater atmosphere of peace can help in the realization of the ECOWAS integration goals.
Welcoming participants to the meeting, the ECOWAS Director, Political Affairs Dr. Remi Ajibewa recalled the strides made towards the consolidation of democracy in the region with internationally acclaimed credible elections which took place in 2016 in Member States of Niger and Benin together with the ones that earlier held in Nigeria, Togo, Cot d’Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso the previous year.
He said that despite the observed fragilities as well as isolated terrorist attacks in Mali, Cote’ d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, through its monitoring and peacebuilding mechanism, ECOWAS is advancing the cause of preventing conflict triggers especially so now that the new president of the Commission Marcel Alain deSouza has already identified peace and security sectors as his key priority during his tenure. 
At the meeting, participants were briefed by the ECPF Secretariat on the fund raising strategy for the effective implementation of the ECPF, priority programmes for 2016 were also highlighted including updates and complementary follow up actions.
Presentations were also made by the holding Departments and Directorates as well as the representatives of the Development Partners on financial procedures, European Union (EU) procurement procedures, status of the priority areas of ECPF Components, as well as the redesigned ECPF web portal.
In the presentation made by the Communication Directorate, participants were told that the collaboration with the ECOWAS Community Computer Centre had matured to the point where the implementation of the ECPF Web Portal had started in earnest. The Portal which has a modern look and feel would in due course be linked with the main website of the ECOWAS Commission. The Web Portal was described as interactive, complete with user friendly social media tools and frequently updated information.
The meeting which was co-chaired by the representative of the Director of External Relations, Mrs. Benetta Tar also spelt out expected outcomes which included the need for reports by departments on progress of implementation as well as the importance of taking measures to monitor the effect of their outlined activities within the ECPF 3-Year Plan of Action.
The representatives of Partners who were present at the meeting included Mrs. Lena Schildt, Counsellor, Deputy Head, Regional Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden, Addis Ababa, Mrs. Maria Lundberg, First Secretary, Regional Development Co-operation for Sub-Saharan Africa, Embassy of Sweden, Addis Ababa, Dr. Ludwig Kirchner, Head of GIZ Peace and Security, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Mrs. Yvonne Akpasom, GIZ Adviser. After making their observations, the partners pledged to offer technical and financial support to ECPF Components.
The ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) was adopted by the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) in January 2008 to provide a framework for operationalizing efforts to prevent conflicts in ECOWAS Member States. It is aimed towards mainstreaming conflict prevention into ECOWAS’ policies and programs and seeks to strengthen regional capacities and tools for preventing violent conflicts.
Going forward, a Report on the outcome of the ECPF Internal Steering Committee will be prepared and circulated by the ECPF Secretariat to ECOWAS Focal Point Directorates.