News:
October 22, 2019
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commissioner for Macro-economic Policy and Economic Research, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku has said, the sub-regional body remains the most dynamic regional economic community bloc in Africa, “Despite the numerous challenges confronting the regional integration programme ECOWAS is pursuing”.
According to Dr. Apraku, in other to make the regional integration process more relevant to the needs and aspiration of citizens within the community, the Commission has adopted vision 2020 in June 2007.
He added that, basic objective of transforming from ECOWAS of states to ECOWAS of people, where citizens would be actively involved in the regional integration process with its people becoming the ultimate beneficiaries.
Dr. Konadu Apraku commended the collaboration between the ECOWAS Commission and Court of Justice, in an open remark on a four day conference organized by the court of Justice in Accra.
Speaking on behalf of the Commission, President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, further noted that the regional integration present the most cost effective and broad base economic development way, to overcome the limitations of smaller internal markets and also increase, “our bargaining power to reduce negotiation, cost and ultimately reduce high rate”.
The region has recorded a lot of achievements in the areas of peace, security, economic integration, and development as significant progress has been made to sustain peace and security, through preventive diplomacy, he indicated.
“ECOWAS region has become relatively stable with occasional conflicts arising from terrorism, in the area of democracy and a good governance initiative by ECOWAS has yielded tangible results and consolidation of democratic institutions”.
Again, there has been monitoring of conduct of elections in various countries in member states in the region with considerable progress made.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com