Representatives of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Member States and executing agencies as well as technical and financial partners, meet meet by videoconference to discuss the modalities of implementation of the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Program (ECBCSP) 2021/2025 and its regional financing mechanism.

Discussions during this session organized on May 31, 2021 focused on the operation of the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation program, free movement and migration (CBC-FMM) and the adoption of an action plan for the deployment of the ECBCSP -2021/2025, reports a press release sent to the AIP.

At the end of their work, the delegates were sensitized on the modalities of implementation and the operational procedures of the program and its regional financing mechanisms, the cross-border cooperation of ECOWAS and the free movement, and adopted the principle the creation of the Migration Fund (CBC-FMM) and the preparation of an action plan for the deployment of the program.

In addition, information on the composition and role of governance structures and operational procedures at all levels were brought to the attention of the participants as well as those relating to the procedures and mechanisms for accessing regional financial support from ECOWAS for priority projects.

The ECBCSP 2021-2025 and its Funding Mechanism were approved by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in January 2021, with the main objective of strengthening cooperation between populations, member states and markets as well as accelerating and improving regional integration from below. The 2021/2025 Program promotes regional peace and security, addresses migration and free movement and supports joint socio-economic development initiatives and local communities in their development projects.

The ECBCSP 2021/2025 Program will continue the efforts of the Cooperation Initiative (CIP) implemented in the first four (4) areas of pilot operations of the ECOWAS region, involving eleven (11) Member States.

The ECBSCP 2021/2025 will cover seven new zones bringing the total of operational zones to 11, namely the Sikasso-Korhogo-Bobo Dioulasso zone (SKBo) and the Southern Senegambia (SSG) zones, the Kano-Katsina corridors. Maradi and Kano Jigawa-Zinder (K2M-KJZ) as well as the cross-border areas of the Mano River Union (MRU), the Lagos – Abidjan – Ghana-Togo-Benin-Nigeria (GHATOBENN) corridor, that of Burkina-Ghana – Côte d’Ivoire (BGCI), Liptako-Gourma (Burkina Faso-Mali-Niger), Benin-Niger-Nigeria Corridor (BNN), Benin-Burkina-Togo Corridor (BBT), Senegal-Gambia-Mali Corridor -Guinea ( SGMG), the Senegal-Guinea Bissau-Cabo Verde (SGC) corridor thus covering all the fifteen (15) Member States of ECOWAS.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse