International Partners Converge In New York To Honour ECOWAS at 50.
By Ferdinand Olise
The Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), has marked its fiftieth anniversary with a high-level ceremony at the United Nations, UN, Headquarters in New York, under the tittle : “United for a better future: promoting regionalism and multilateralism for shared prosperity”.
The event organised by the ECOWAS Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, in close collaboration with the ECOWAS Ambassadors Group, brought together senior UN officials, ECOWAS leaders, diplomats, academics, and international partners.
In her opening address, Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, highlighted the central role of ECOWAS in promoting peace, regional unity, and sustainable development.
The Vice-President of the Commission, Damtien Tchintchibidja, praised the organisation’s evolution over the decades, and reaffirmed the relevance of its Vision 2050.
While delivering a keynote speech focused on security challenges in West Africa, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, highlighted the operationalisation of the Regional Rapid Reaction Force against terrorism, and the development of a Citizens’ Pact for the future of regional integration.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was a video message from General Yakubu Gowon, the last living founding father of ECOWAS, who recalled the visionary spirit that presided over the birth of the organisation in 1975.
General Gowon therefore made a vibrant appeal to strengthen the unity, solidarity, and pursuit of common ideals for a stronger, and more integrated West Africa.
