ECOWAS asked to implement treaties

Accra, June 9, GNA - Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, President of the ECOWAS Commission, on Monday identified non-compliance and domestication of treaties as challenges retarding the sub-region's integration efforts. He therefore asked member states to ensure proper domestication of treaties ratified, as means of guaranteeing their compliance.

Dr. Chambas raised the concern in speech read on his behalf by Mr. Roger Laloupo, Director of Legal Affairs of the Commission in Accra, at the opening of a four-day regional capacity training workshop for ECOWAS countries on Treaty, Law and Practice.

The workshop being attended by over 40 participants working in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice in ECOWAS member states is aimed at enhancing the effective implementation of treaty obligations, focusing on human rights, transitional organized crimes, corruption, trade, environment and the rule of law.

Dr. Chambas said ECOWAS during its 33 years of existence had adopted over 52 Conventions and Protocols with 36 having been ratified. He said despite the success in recording 100 per cent ratification of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, the protocol relating to Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution and Security adopted in 1999 had only six ratifications.

The ECOWAS Commission President said the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance adopted in 2001 had likewise received low approval, with only nine ratifications.

He said it therefore behoved member states to create a legal environment for the attainment of the ECOWAS objectives through the adherence, domestication and compliance with international treaties and laws.

"We must take all necessary measures within the framework of our constitutional procedures to establish the necessary legal order that guarantees our progress as a community," Dr Chambas added. Dr Charles Brempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, called for collective effort to address issues affecting the sub-region such as human rights, illicit drug trafficking and small arms and promotion of fair and equitable regional trade.

He hinted that as part of Ghana's effort to ensure effective implementation of treaties, government had set up an Inter-Agency Treaties Indexing Committee to collate all relevant information concerning the country's performance status.

The Deputy Minister said the Legal and Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department and other national agencies would review and advice Parliament and Cabinet for actions before the 2008 Treaty Event in September.

Dr. Brempong-Yeboah urged the participants to use the opportunity to share best practices in treaty law, practice and implantation methods that pertained in their respective national jurisdictions.

Mr Daouda Toure, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said the workshop was in line with the UNDP's objective to promote human rights and rule of law.