Conflict prevention: ECOWAS unveils 2018-2020 action plans

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) had launched the 2018-2020 Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) action plans to reduce and eliminate threats to peace and security in the region. The ECPF was adopted to operationalize the protocol on mechanism for conflict prevention, management, peace keeping and security in December 1999. ECOWAS commissioner for political […]

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) had launched the 2018-2020 Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) action plans to reduce and eliminate threats to peace and security in the region.

The ECPF was adopted to operationalize the protocol on mechanism for conflict prevention, management, peace keeping and security in December 1999.

ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Francis Behanzin, in his statement on Monday said, the purpose of the ECPF was to serve as a guiding reference for ECOWAS and member states in their efforts to strengthen human security in the region.

He said to achieve the mission, the ECPF is primarily designed among other thing to be a comprehensive operations manual for conflict prevention and peace building strategy that will enable ECOWAS and its member states to mobilise human and financial resources regionally and internationally for the creative transformation of conflicts in peace situation.

“The ECPF is also designed to be a template that will ensure coherence and synergy between the relevant ECOWAS departments in conflict prevention initiatives,” he said.

Behanzin added that their goal was not just to launch the ECPF Action Plans but to also take responsibility for its success by playing an important role on mobilising resources for their implementation.

“Conflict prevention can never be an individual initiative. We all need everybody’s technical and financial support. We can ensure that the commission has sufficient technical and financial resources to implement the action plans by 2020,” he added.

Ambassador Jester Kamp of Denmark said her country has been a strong supporter of ECOWAS and the ECFP in particular for many years adding that they funded the establishment of ECPF secretariat as well as the Meditation Facilitation Division as part of their Africa Programme for Peace.

“Through the years, ECOWAS has proven itself to be an indispensable organisation for peace, security and government issues across West Africa.

“It had played  courageous and proactive role in numerous fragile situations, preventing further escalations of conflicts and through political will and capable responses using the ECPF as its foundation,” she said.

She added that “ECOWAS has been a front runner when it comes to approaches to conflicts prevention, mediation and early response in fragile situations.”