During the Abuja meeting on last January 14 and 15, Ministers of information of West Africa adopted three important documents developed by the ECOWAS Communication Department. They were new communication strategy for the ECOWAS, legal act related to information and Professional norms applicable to West African Media.
The documents proposed by the ECOWAS Commission, for some days in the past, were subject to validation by the Experts’ Committee and Representatives of professional press organizations of the ECOWAS member’s states. At the end of the works, they made some strong recommendations including establishment of a Communication Commission and a coordination body for communication. The coordination body will be an operational directorate to coordinate communication of the Commission, specialized Institutions, international press bodies as well as member countries of the Community.
The ECOWAS new communication policy adopted by the Information Minister will replace the policy validated in Bamako in 2000 which remains in force up to this day. Since the former policy became dysfunctional and inappropriate with respect to the new condition of the ECOWAS, it deems necessary to formulate a new strategy that can address the new regional integration condition as well as the vision 2020 aiming to change States ECOWAS into People ECOWAS
For this purpose, citizen of the Community is focused in the regional integration process in the new developed communication strategy. The new strategy is based on four main components including information of the population, action visibility, and capacity building as well as population participation in action and their feed-back. It will serve as guide for conscious awareness activities and mobilization of the West African Citizens.
Another important document has been adopted by the ECOWAS information Ministers. This document concerns regulations related to norms and standards of media with respect to promotion of peace and security in West Africa. These norms and standards mainly concern generally principles, accepted values that are guiding journalist profession. The objective is to promote peace and democracy at the regional level through availability of guidance on good practice and professional norms applied to journalism. This framework shall be a common reference for professional norms in the region.
The third and last document adopted by the ECOWAS information Ministers is related to the Memorandum of Free Speech and Right to Information in West Africa. This new provision guarantees the right to freedom, independence of media, protection of journalists’ information sources and disciplinary measures.
The documents approved by Ministers will be submitted for the comments of the Conference of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government before their implementation.