By Haruna Kuyateh
Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment organized day one National Consultation on ECOWAS Post Vision 2020 with stakeholders and Civil Society Organisations and women leaders and district chiefs. The Theme: Towards Peace and Borderless Region. The convergence was held in Farafenni in the north bank.
Ebrima KS Dampha regional overnor NBR has stressed the importance of regional consultative meeting of involvement of stakeholders, demonstrated of empowering people to participate and contribute to the development of road map of ECOWAS for the next 20 to 25 years. Governor Dampha call on peoples to consolidate and nurture the existing peace and stability.
He noted that Gambia is among the founding fathers of ECOWAS in 1975 and it then it has contributed to promote regional integration, peace, security and stability and most importantly in strengthening governance. Governor Dampha said the convergence by stakeholders to have a say on how they want to be governed by ECOWAS for the next 20 to 25 years.
Hassan Gaye Deputy Permanent Secretary DPS at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Regional Integration has underscored the significance government attaches to the implementation of ECOWAS protocols and program and noted that it would contribute to the development program that would uplift the living standard of ECOWAS.
He noted that Government has places high prison ECOWAS program in strengthening regional integration. The program according to DPS Gaye noted that the commitment by ECOWAS would contribute to successful implementation of programs and projects geared towards the attainment of ECOWAS vision 2020. This clearly manifests the paradigm shift in ECOWAS as people centred rather than nation centred.
Commenting on creating a borderless ECOWAS of people and accelerating socioeconomic development in West Africa can hardly be attained without regional integration that requires collective action by all community membe. However since it inception on May 28th, 1975 it has been promoting economic cooperation and regional integration for accelerated development of the West Africa economy. The revised treaty thus adopted regional policies and programmes with a view to integrate the 15 national economies in to a single west Africa market
The long term vision of ECOWAS is to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region, built on good governance and where people have the capacity to access and harness it enormous resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development and environmental preservation. ECOWAS authority of heads of state and government in june 2007 a resolution to introduce the transformational ECOWAS vision 2020 which stipulates as ECOWAS of the people.
ECOWAS vision 2020 aimed at setting clear directions and goals to significantly raise the standard of living of the West Africa people through conscious and inclusive programs that would guarantee a bright future for the community and it citizens. Peace and security with the objective of ridding the region of multiple conflicts, promotion of good governance guided by the principles of transparency and accountability in the use of public resources.
The convergence of integration and experience deeper bonds of integration, take stock of experience, challenges and achievements. The gathering would help to develop road map for post 2020 vision for ECOWAS to gather contributions, views and concerns to enhance integration.
