Ghana is positioned to benefit from ECOWAS protocols and conventions

Regional news for Thursday, December 3, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-12-03

Ghana, in its quest to improve the standard of living of its citizens, has stepped up stakeholder commitments to the Protocols and Conventions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The goal is to help Ghanaians understand and position themselves well to take advantage of the opportunities that protocols and conventions provide.

Among the ECOWAS protocols and conventions are the promotion of economic cooperation, integration, and the fostering of relations between member states to contribute to the progress and development of the subregion.

Mr. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, who made the remarks, said that it was important for Ghana to position itself in a pragmatic way to access the many benefits of the ECOWAS initiative.

He spoke at the opening of an awareness workshop on ECOWAS protocols in Kumasi.

It was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the National Commission for Development Planning and Media Response, an NGO, as part of efforts to improve the visibility of ECOWAS in the country so that citizens can better appreciate its contribution to the socio-economic development of the subregion.

Mr. Owiredu indicated that the Government of Ghana was committed to the process of regional integration and the implementation of various protocols and policies to improve the living standards of all Ghanaians.

He said the workshop was to help shed more light on perceptions of the relevance and activities of ECOWAS to avoid speculation, assumptions, and even a complete lack of knowledge about the sub-regional bloc.

Mr. Owiredu noted that the workshop, which was the second in a series of workshops to be held across the country, was a sequel to the ECOWAS National Stakeholder Consultation Workshop for the ECOWAS Vision 2020 Assessment. that organized to access achievements. and the challenges of ECOWAS, particularly under its 2020 vision, which was adopted about a decade ago.

The implementation of the protocols could not be effective without the cooperation of people derived from the lack of understanding of these protocols, he emphasized.

Owiredu pledged the government’s determination to help Ghanaians explore opportunities in the subregion as part of a grand agenda to create jobs for the people.

He said that ECOWAS had implemented a wide range of ambitious measures to intensify and coordinate actions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

They included developing a post-pandemic recovery plan, strengthening regional cooperation in research and sharing experiences on the virus, and encouraging member states to contribute to the continental response fund against COVID-19 in Africa.

Mr. Joseph Donkor, Ashanti’s Director of Regional Coordination, said there was a need to promote regional integration as countries became increasingly interdependent, adding that ECOWAS should be recognized by all member states and their citizens as an important regional grouping.