ECOWAS
Comunidade Económica dos Estados da África Ocidental Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Economic Community of West African States | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Abuja, Nigeria |
Largest city | Lagos, Nigeria |
Official languages | English, French, Portuguese |
Membership | |
Leaders | |
• Chairman | Goodluck Jonathan |
• President of the Commission | James Victor Gbeho |
Mahamane Ousmane | |
Establishment | |
28 May 1975[1] | |
Area | |
• Total | 5,112,903 km2 (1,974,103 sq mi) (7th) |
Population | |
• 2006 estimate | 251,646,263 (4th) |
• Density | 115.6/km2 (299.4/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | US$ 389,519 Billion[citation needed] (28th) |
• Per capita | US$ 7,890[citation needed] |
Currency | Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) Cedi (GHS)2 Dalasi (GMD)2 Guinean franc (GNF)2 Liberian dollar (LRD)3 Naira (NGN)2 Leone (SLL)3 West African CFA franc (XOF) |
Time zone | UTC0 to +2 |
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on May 28th, 1975 with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.
Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, the organization was founded in order to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trading bloc through an economic and trading union. It also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region.[2] The organization operates officially in three co-equal languages- English, French, and Portuguese.
THE ECOWAS is comprised of two institutions to implement policies, the ECOWAS Secretariat and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, formerly known as the Fund for Cooperation until it was renamed in 2001. James Victor Gbeho, the Advisor to the President of Ghana on Foreign Affairs, currently serves as the President of the commission. The current chairman is President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.
A few members of the organization have come and gone over the years. In 1976 Cape Verde joined ECOWAS, and in December 2000 Mauritania withdrew,[3] having announced its intention to do so in December 1999.[4]
Current members
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Mali
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Togo
Suspended members
Guinea – suspended after the 2008 coup d'état[5][6]
Niger – suspended after the 2009 auto-coup[7]
Ivory Coast - suspended after the 2010 elections[8]
On October 17th, 2009, ECOWAS asked Niger to postpone its controversial 20 October elections.[9]The elections were in the process of being boycotted by members of the opposition as President Tandja Mamadou faced accusations of trying to lengthen his reign. [10] According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the organization stated that the decision to move forward with the election was "in total disregard of the authority of ECOWAS" and that it was "a clear move by the authorities in Niger to further entrench the constitutional illegality currently prevailing in the country".[9] ECOWAS announced the suspension of Niger from the organization on October, 20th 2009.[11]
Structure
President of the Commission, Current and Former
From 1977 to 2006 the post name was Executive Secretary
- Aboubakar Diaby Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire) January 1977 – 1985
- Momodu Munu (Sierra Leone) 1985–1989
- Abass Bundu (Sierra Leone) 1989–1993
- Édouard Benjamin (Guinea) 1993–1997
- Lansana Kouyaté (Guinea) September 1997 – 31 January 2002
- Mohamed Ibn Chambas (Ghana) 1 February 2002 – 31 December 2006
From the restructuring
- Mohamed Ibn Chambas (Ghana) 1 January 2007 – 18 February 2010
- James Victor Gbeho (Ghana) 18 February 2010 - present
Chairmen
- Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1977–1978
- Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria) 1978–1979
- Léopold Sédar Senghor (Senegal) 1979–1980
- Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1980–1981
- Siaka Stevens (Sierra Leone) 1981–1982
- Mathieu Kérékou (Benin) 1982–1983
- Ahmed Sékou Touré (Guinea) 1983–1984
- Lansana Conté (Guinea) 1984–1985
- Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) 1985 – 27 August 1985
- Ibrahim Babangida (Nigeria) 27 August 1985 – 1989
- Dawda Jawara (The Gambia) 1989–1990
- Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso) 1990–1991
- Dawda Jawara (The Gambia) 1991–1992
- Abdou Diouf (Senegal) 1992–1993
- Nicéphore Soglo (Benin) 1993–1994
- Jerry John Rawlings (Ghana) 1994 – 27 July 1996
- Sani Abacha (Nigeria) 27 July 1996 – 8 June 1998
- Abdulsalami Abubakar (Nigeria) 9 June 1998 – 1999
- Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1999
- Alpha Oumar Konaré (Mali) 1999 – 21 December 2001
- Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal) 21 December 2001 – 31 January 2003
- John Agyekum Kufuor (Ghana) 31 January 2003 – 19 January 2005
- Mamadou Tandja (Niger) 19 January 2005 – 19 January 2007
- Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso) 19 January 2007 – 19 December 2008
- Umaru Yar'Adua (Nigeria) 19 December 2008 – 18 February 2010
- Goodluck Jonathan (Nigeria) 18 February 2010 – present
Regional security cooperation
The ECOWAS nation assigned a non-aggression protocol in 1990 long with two earlier agreements in 1978 and 1981. They also signed a Protocol on Mutual Defence Assistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on May 29th, 1981, that provided for the establishment of an Allied Armed Force of the Community.[12]
See also: ECOMOG
The Community Court of Justice
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice was created by a protocol signed in 1991 and was later included in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty of the Community in 1993.[13] However, the Court didn’t officially being operations until the 1991 protocol came into effect on November 5th, 1996. The jursdiction of the court is outlined in Article 9 and Article 76 of the Revised Treaty and allows rulings on disputes between states over interpretations of the Revised Treaty. It also provides the ECOWAS Council with advisory opinions on legal issues (Article 10). Like its companion courts the European Court of Human Rights and the East African Court of Justice, it possess authority over fundamental human rights breaches.[13]
Sporting and cultural exchange
ECOWAS nations organize a broad array of cultural and sports event under the auspices of the body, ranging from the CEDEAO Cup in football, to the Miss CEDEAO Beauty pageant.[14]
Economic participation
West African Economic and Monetary Union
The West African Economic and Monetary Union (also known as UEMOA from its name in French, Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine) is an organization comprised of eight West African states. It was established to promote economic integration among countries that share the CFA franc as a common currency. UEMOA was created by a Treaty signed at Dakar, Senegal, on January 10th, 1994 by the heads of state and governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. On May 2nd, 1997, Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, became the organization’s eighth (and only non-Francophone) member state.
UEMOA is a customs union and monetary union between these members of ECOWAS. Its objectives include the following:[15]
- Greater economic competitiveness, through open markets, in addition to the rationalization and harmonization of the legal environment
- The convergence of macro-economic policies and indicators
- The creation of a common market
- The coordination of sectoral policies
- The harmonization of fiscal policies
Among its achievements, the UEMOA has successfully implemented macro-economic convergence criteria and an effective surveillance mechanism. It has adopted a customs union and common external tariff and has combined indirect taxation regulations, in addition to initiating regional structural and sectoral policies. A September 2002 IMF survey cited the UEMOA as "the furthest along the path toward integration" of all the regional groupings in Africa.[16]
ECOWAS and UEMOA have developed a common plan of action on trade liberalization and macroeconomic policy convergence. The organizations have also agreed on common rules of origin to enhance trade, and ECOWAS has agreed to adopt UEMOA’s customs declaration forms and compensation mechanisms.[17]
West African Monetary Zone
The West African Monetary Zone is a group of five countries within ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency, the Eco, by the year 2015. The five member states are the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Liberia has also expressed interest in joining. The WAMZ is largely dominated by Nigeria, due to its status as Africa's largest oil producer and most populous country. All the members of group are English-speaking countries, apart from Guinea, which is Francophone. Along with Mauritania, Guinea opted out of the CFA franc currency shared by all other former French colonies in West and Central Africa.
Formed in 2000, the WAMZ attempts to establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc, whose exchange rate is tied to that of the Euro and is guaranteed by the French Treasury. The eventual goal is for the CFA franc and Eco to merge, giving all of West and Central Africa a single, stable currency. The launch of the new currency is being developed by the West African Monetary Institute based in Accra, Ghana. However, several of the WAMZ's countries currently suffer from weak currencies and chronic budget deficits. Unfortunately, their attempts to close this economic gap by printing more currency has further encouraged inflation.
Transport
A Trans-ECOWAS project, established in 2007, plans to upgrade railways in this zone, including Ghana.[18]
See also
- The Arab League
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- The European Union
- EFTA
- Brown card system - motor insurance scheme of ECOWAS
References
- ^ African Union
- ^ Adeyemi, Segun (6 August 2003). "West African Leaders Agree on Deployment to Liberia". Jane’s Defence Weekly.
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(help) - ^ Adeyemi, Segun (2002). "Fostering Regional Integration Through NEPAD Implementation: Annual Report, 2002, of the Exectuive Secretary Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas" (PDF). Abuja ECOWAS. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Executive Secretary's Report". 2000. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
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(help) - ^ AU Stänger av Guinea.
- ^ "African Union bars Guinea on coup" bbc.co.uk 29 December 2008 Link accessed 29/12/08
- ^ "Regional group suspends Niger on disputed election". news.yahoo.com 20 October 2009
- ^ "Cote d'Ivoire expelled from Ecowas". aljazeera.net 7 December 2009
- ^ a b Zhang Xiang (2009-10-21). "ECOWAS suspends Niger for defiance of election ban". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Africa trade bloc suspends Niger". BBC. 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ Felix Onuah, Randy Fabi, Jon Boyle (2009-10-20). "West Africa's ECOWAS suspends Niger over elections". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Profile: Economic Community of West African States" (PDF). 18 November 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
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ignored (help) - ^ a b ECOWAS (2007) Information Manual: The Institutions of the Community ECOWAS
- ^ "Miss ECOWAS 2010". The Economist. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ [1] REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND COOPERATION IN WEST AFRICA A Multidimensional Perspective, Chapter 1. Introduction: Reflections on an Agenda for Regional Integration and Cooperation in West Africa
- ^ “Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)” fact sheet from the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs
- ^ “Annual Report on Integration in Africa 2002” All Africa, 1 March 2002
- ^ 2007 Rail link ECOWAS countries
External links
- West-African Monetary Institute
- Official Website (In French)
- WAEMU Treaty
- ECOWAS Official Web Site
- ECOWAS Secretariat Official Web Site: includes calendar of meetings.
- ECOWAS Parliament
- ECOWAS Revised Treaty
- ECOBANK - African banking group, present in thirty (30) countries on the African continent plus France in Europe. ECOBANK's Initial Public Offer of eight million plus shares in Accra, Ghana in May 2006 was oversubscribed. The listing of this IPO, landed ECOBANK on the Ghana Stock Exchange. As of December 2009, ECOBANK stock is also listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and on the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM), the stock exchange of Francophone West African countries in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
- More About Ecobank
- PowerPoint presentation of ECOWAS, 2004
- Mbendi profile
- Security by proxy? The EU and (sub-)regional organisations: the case of ECOWAS, by Bastien Nivet, Occasional Paper No. 63, March 2006, European Union Institute for Security Studies