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Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), 18 January 2008
The common approach on migration is adopted.
The 33rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) helped move forward some crucial community issues: (i) adoption of a strategic poverty reduction document; (ii) establishment of a statistical development fund, (iii) adoption of a common approach on migration; (iv) elaboration of an energy supply action plan and (v) elaboration of a five-year action plan for the development and deployment of biotechnology and biosecurity.
The SWAC has supported ECOWAS in the development of a common approach on migration to face the challenges of intra-community mobility. In order to ensure the implementation of this common approach, Heads of State and Government created an ad hoc Ministerial Committee responsible for migration. The Committee’s six working groups met in Abuja from 12 to 15 February to discuss the terms of reference that were developed with SWAC support. The ECOWAS Commission and the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation (AECI) are currently negotiating the financing of the Action Plan on migration and development based on a common approach (10 million euros). The SWAC, represented by Normand Lauzon, commended the creation of a West African Institution on Regional Integration that will be based in Cape Verde and will foster research on regional integration and social dialogue. Within the context of this meeting, Mr. Lauzon met with several Heads of State, regional partners as well as development partners.
> read the ECOWAS Press Release (French)
12th Conference of UEMOA Heads of State and Government
Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), 17 January 2008
This annual meeting of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) enabled Heads of State and Government to review the Union’s evolution and functioning, its autonomous bodies and institutions as well as provide the guidance required to implement various initiatives focusing on the integration process. Heads of State in particular referred to the 2007 Activity Reports of the Commission, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD). Resolving the interim management of the BCEAO and BOAD was the highlight of the meeting. Henceforth, Philippe Henri Dakoury-Tabley (Côte d’Ivoire) will take the helm of the BCEAO and Abdoulaye Bio-Tchané (Benin) will head up the BOAD. Mr. Normand Lauzon, SWAC Director, participated as an observer in this meeting.
> read the UEMOA Press Release (French)
Mali-Mauritania Border: Pilot Operation in the Karakoro Basin
Bamako (Mali), 17 January 2008
The meeting validating the Concerted Territorial Development Programme in the Karakoro Basin, organised by the Groupe de Recherche et de Réalisations pour le Développement Rural (GRDR), brought together the pilot operation’s main actors. This pilot operation is carried out within the framework of the ECOWAS Cross-border Initiatives Programme with SWAC support. The participation of General Kafougouna Koné, Malian Minister of Regional Planning and Local Communities and Mr. Yahya Ould Kebd, Mauritanian Minister of Decentralisation and Regional Planning underscored the strong political willingness of both the Malian and Mauritanian Governments to promote good neighbourliness and encourage solidarity and exchanges to benefit populations. The proposed programme is ambitious. It foresees approximately 9 million euros over 4 years, of which 5 million would be devoted to infrastructure. One third of the financing has been acquired. The balance should be secured by mid-2008. After the meeting, the two ministers signed a memorandum calling for the creation of an ECOWAS regional fund for financing cross-border co-operation. The SWAC, represented by Mr. Laurent Bossard, SWAC Deputy Director, participated in this meeting as a technical partner.
> read the Mission Report (French)
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