Abdulai Fasineh Dumbuya
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has called for cooperation and integration in West Africa at the opening of a four-day International Conference of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Freetown.
President Bio made this statement at the Freetown International Conference Centre May 13, 2024, whilst advocating for a just, inclusive and equitable society for member states.
President Bio expressed delight for Sierra Leone’s hosting of this year’s conference as the country was one of the founding members of ECOWAS in May 1975, and had remained committed to the ideals and aspirations of its treaty.
President Bio said the need for cooperation and integration among member countries is a worthy cause of action and requires concerted and best efforts from people of the region to ensure their prosperity and well-being.
“The ECOWAS Court of Justice plays a pivotal role in advancing these noble objectives by upholding the principles of justice, fairness, and the rule of law across our region. As members of ECOWAS, we are bound together by a shared vision of regional integration, cooperation, and promoting peace and prosperity for our people,” he said.
He said the establishment of the Court in 2001 was a laudable step by member countries towards fostering integration and cooperation and that the progresses it had made since its inception were a testament to the importance of the organisation.
Associating the successes made by the court as a result of its expanded jurisdiction, which is in line with the Amended Protocol of 2005, including the authority to adjudicate the alleged violation of the human rights of the community’s citizens, he said his government will continue to promote justice dispensation in the country.
He commended the leadership of the ECOWAS Court of Justice for being “progressive”, saying the Court has succeeded in increasing its crucial role of providing additional justice delivery options to the citizenry of the ECOWAS community.
In his statement, Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Gbéri-Bè Ouattara reminded the conference that the Court was established by the Lagos Treaty of May 28, 1975. He also stated that the ECOWAS Revised Treaty was adopted in July 1993 and was recognised as the fundamental charter of ECOWAS and the roadmap for the economic integration of the community.
Keynote speaker, Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi, spoke largely around the topic of “enhancing the role, relevance, and effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice through the strengthening of synergies between the court and national stakeholders”, and emphasized the need to promote fairness in the justice systems in West Africa.
“Courts are not in the business of engaging with any constituencies, actual or perceived. Indeed, the idea of courts having to network constituents may seem at first odd and inconsistent, even with the juridical character of the judicial institution, one structured to be detached, neutral, and authoritative in pronouncement, unperturbed by the effects of their rulings and consequences of their actions,” he said.
The four-day conference aims to foster productive conversations on the strengths and weaknesses of the ECOWAS Court of Justice’s interactions with different national stakeholders, and to put forward actionable strategies for improving the Court’s role, significance and efficiency.
With the theme: “Enhancing the Role, Relevance and Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice through the Strengthening of Synergies between the Court and National Stakeholders”.
Sierra Leone’s first-ever International Conference of ECOWAS Court of Justice was attended by the President of the court Justice Edward Amoaka Asante, Government of Sierra Leone, and distinguished Professors and Bar Presidents and dignitaries from Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria. The last conference was held in The Gambia in 2023 on the theme :“ECOWAS’ Zero Tolerance for Unconstitutional Change of Government”.
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