Representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have met the African Union (AU) Partner Embassies Group to strengthen dialogue on regional economic integration.
The meeting, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on institutional cooperation between the AU and the RECs, as well as major issues addressed under the organisation’s Burundian Presidency this year.
According to a statement on the ECOWAS Commission website, discussions centred on assessing institutional synergies and reviewing the progress of key initiatives.
Speaking at the meeting, the ECOWAS Permanent Representative, Mr Abdou Kolley, highlighted progress made within the West African region, particularly in the area of free movement of persons.
He, however, expressed concern over the low level of adherence to and ratification of the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, describing it as a challenge to continental integration.
The Burundian Presidency presented a mid-term review of its mandate, highlighting progress in several sectors.
Among the achievements were the adoption of the African Water and Sanitation Policy, the development of an implementation framework to translate security and humanitarian early warnings into action, and initiatives to promote women’s empowerment and youth inclusion.
The Partner Embassies Group commended the transparency of the discussions and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting coordination between the AU and the RECs.
The group said such cooperation was essential to achieving the objectives of the AU’s Agenda 2063.
