As part of activities to programme the European Union’s Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) 2021-2027, a stakeholders’ meeting has been held between The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS and the UEMOA Commission within the framework for the West African Region.
The meeting also marked the launch of the UEMOA – ECOWAS – EU tripartite consultation mechanism for the NDICI aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the EU and West Africa and to ensure the coherence of the programming of development actions at national, regional and continental levels.
According to the Head of EU Cooperation, Ouagadougou, Maria Pilar Palmero Vaquero, the two-day engagement, which follows a regional workshop held in Accra from 7 to 9 October 2021, between the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and their Member States, provided participants with the opportunity to discuss ongoing initiatives at the regional and EU levels to identify development actions under the six priority areas of the NDICI.
These, Madam Vaquero said “Our priority areas are the core of all our operations. Our initiative promotes stability, security, democratic transitioning, good governance and human rights. The second one is to support inclusive and sustainable growth, promote decent jobs and leverage the digital transformation. Again, we aim to strengthen cooperation on all aspects of migration mobility and forced displacement and address the root causes. We protect the environment and biodiversity and combat climate change. The fifth priority area has to do with the promotion of human development and gender equality and finally, we aim at strengthening partnerships because it is the backbone of all our operations to deliver excellent services”
She further explained that the tripartite consultation framework, which is a desire of the two Heads if Institution of UEMOA and ECOWAS given the specificity of the Region, is intended to compliment the dialogue platform set up at the continental level between he EU and the Regional Economic Communities of Sub Saharan Africa.
The discussions for the meeting also centred on economy, trade and security in the sub region. The outcomes of the discussions will also inform the development of NDICI’s 2022 and 2023 annual action plans.
