In order to strengthen the convergence between the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA, thirty technical directors, lawyers, experts and program managers from both institutions took part in the 7th Meeting of the joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), from 4 to 7 April 2011 in Lome , Togo.
This meeting, funded by the European Union, aims to improve the operating procedures of the JTS and to assess the progress of common projects.
The context of coordination among intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) is one of the common projects of UEMOA/ ECOWAS. In this regard, a notification was made at the meeting that the project of Memorandum of Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between IGOs of West Africa could not be signed because of new proposed amendments and time constraints of Heads of Institutions. To correct this situation, the meeting adopted a new roadmap that provides for a bilateral meeting ECOWAS / UEMOA, in April 2011, a meeting of experts from the OIG in May 2011 and a meeting of Heads of Institution in June 2011.
Regarding the project of JTS operation Manual that was submitted, the participants agreed to replace it with an amendment of the ECOWAS / UEMOA Cooperation and Partnership Agreement. This proposed amendment will be submitted to the next JTS meeting for adoption.
The meeting was also informed on the implementation status of the recommendations made from the meeting held by the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA, in Abuja in March 2010 on statistical harmonization and convergence issues. It concerns the Regional Strategy for Poverty Reduction, the Technical and financial support Program for Bissau Guinea, the harmonization of the convergence criteria in the ECOWAS, the online UEMOA database, and finally, the common methodology for the harmonization of price index for consumption in the ECOWAS region.
Participants have discussed on the conditions to set up a regional telecommunication broadband network that will interconnect all Member States. In order to reduce significantly communication costs in the region, they reported on a harmonized model for calculating interconnection tariffs to improve the services offered by network operators.
With regards to the transposition of Community legislation into national law on ICT and on Telecommunications, the meeting was informed that 6 states (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Bissau Guinea, Senegal and Sierra Leone) have completed the transposition process among the 15 ECOWAS States.
Regarding the transport facilitation program, the meeting was informed that the component Joint Border Posts (JBP) Program is currently in implementation phase of fieldwork. Due to insufficient funding only three posts were finally selected among the seven originally planned to be built without the necessary equipment for their operation.
In this regard, the meeting recommended to inform the Member States on the choice of three posts in Construction (Sown Kraké, Malanville and NOEP) and to find as soon as possible, mechanisms to ensure the functioning of the JBP from works completion.
The participants have also discussed, at length, about the completion of the Regional Indicative Program (RIP) 10th EDF Roadmap.
Both parties agreed that the Roadmap should be completed very soon and that the two Commissions shall assign envelopes and designate responsible for each project. The two regional officers will then pass on the Roadmap to the European Commission. Previously, a regional meeting will be held in Accra, on May 21th, 2011 with intergovernmental organizations, Member States and Non Government Actors.
From the request of the IMF, the two regional organizations in West Africa, ECOWAS and UEMOA have decided, in conjunction with the European Union, to make a financial contribution to West AFRITAC I in Bamako and West AFRITAC II ( on creation) in Accra. This funding that relies on the 10th EDF from RIP resources was integrated into the regional roadmap.
Under common priorities in rural development, the UEMOA Commission presented the RIM Project (Regional Agricultural Inputs Market), for which the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA are working together since 2009 to harmonize the regulatory framework regarding agricultural inputs such as pesticides and plant seeds.
In addition, the ECOWAS Commission gave a presentation on the progress of the negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between EU and West Africa. This presentation reminds the historical context of previous partnership agreements between the ACP and the EU, as well as the structure negotiation adopted by West Africa for the EPA negotiations. During his presentation, the speaker highlighted the recommendations made in the 39th Ordinary Conference of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, from 23 to 24 March 2011. These recommendations are focused on the preservation of independent resources of regional organizations, the agreement for a market opening up to 70% over a period of 25 years, obtaining additional financial resources from EU to fund PAPED ( EPA Program for Development), the maintaining of the clause of the most favored nation, the implementation of simple rules that are favorable to development and finally the non-adoption of mechanisms affecting regional trade relations on the basis of unilateral political sanctions under the non-execution clause.
The meeting urged the negotiators of the two regions to continue their consultations to reach an agreement on pending differences, including issues of agricultural subsidies of the European Union and this latter’s relations with Turkey.
At the end of the 7th Meeting of the ECOWAS / UEMOA Joint Technical Secretary, co-chaired by Mr. Lassané Kabore, Director of Multilateral Surveillance of the ECOWAS Commission and Mr. Raymond Assoukou Krikpeu, Director of Cooperation with UEMOA, the participants agreed on the dates from 3rd to 6th of October 2011 to hold the next meeting in the town of Praia, Cape Verde.
In order to strengthen the convergence between the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA, thirty technical directors, lawyers, experts and program managers from both institutions took part in the 7th Meeting of the joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), from 4 to 7 April 2011 in Lome , Togo.
This meeting, funded by the European Union, aims to improve the operating procedures of the JTS and to assess the progress of common projects.
The context of coordination among intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) is one of the common projects of UEMOA/ ECOWAS. In this regard, a notification was made at the meeting that the project of Memorandum of Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between IGOs of West Africa could not be signed because of new proposed amendments and time constraints of Heads of Institutions. To correct this situation, the meeting adopted a new roadmap that provides for a bilateral meeting ECOWAS / UEMOA, in April 2011, a meeting of experts from the OIG in May 2011 and a meeting of Heads of Institution in June 2011.
Regarding the project of JTS operation Manual that was submitted, the participants agreed to replace it with an amendment of the ECOWAS / UEMOA Cooperation and Partnership Agreement. This proposed amendment will be submitted to the next JTS meeting for adoption.
The meeting was also informed on the implementation status of the recommendations made from the meeting held by the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA, in Abuja in March 2010 on statistical harmonization and convergence issues. It concerns the Regional Strategy for Poverty Reduction, the Technical and financial support Program for Bissau Guinea, the harmonization of the convergence criteria in the ECOWAS, the online UEMOA database, and finally, the common methodology for the harmonization of price index for consumption in the ECOWAS region.
Participants have discussed on the conditions to set up a regional telecommunication broadband network that will interconnect all Member States. In order to reduce significantly communication costs in the region, they reported on a harmonized model for calculating interconnection tariffs to improve the services offered by network operators.
With regards to the transposition of Community legislation into national law on ICT and on Telecommunications, the meeting was informed that 6 states (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Bissau Guinea, Senegal and Sierra Leone) have completed the transposition process among the 15 ECOWAS States.
Regarding the transport facilitation program, the meeting was informed that the component Joint Border Posts (JBP) Program is currently in implementation phase of fieldwork. Due to insufficient funding only three posts were finally selected among the seven originally planned to be built without the necessary equipment for their operation.
In this regard, the meeting recommended to inform the Member States on the choice of three posts in Construction (Sown Kraké, Malanville and NOEP) and to find as soon as possible, mechanisms to ensure the functioning of the JBP from works completion.
The participants have also discussed, at length, about the completion of the Regional Indicative Program (RIP) 10th EDF Roadmap.
Both parties agreed that the Roadmap should be completed very soon and that the two Commissions shall assign envelopes and designate responsible for each project. The two regional officers will then pass on the Roadmap to the European Commission. Previously, a regional meeting will be held in Accra, on May 21th, 2011 with intergovernmental organizations, Member States and Non Government Actors.
From the request of the IMF, the two regional organizations in West Africa, ECOWAS and UEMOA have decided, in conjunction with the European Union, to make a financial contribution to West AFRITAC I in Bamako and West AFRITAC II ( on creation) in Accra. This funding that relies on the 10th EDF from RIP resources was integrated into the regional roadmap.
Under common priorities in rural development, the UEMOA Commission presented the RIM Project (Regional Agricultural Inputs Market), for which the Commissions of ECOWAS and UEMOA are working together since 2009 to harmonize the regulatory framework regarding agricultural inputs such as pesticides and plant seeds.
In addition, the ECOWAS Commission gave a presentation on the progress of the negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between EU and West Africa. This presentation reminds the historical context of previous partnership agreements between the ACP and the EU, as well as the structure negotiation adopted by West Africa for the EPA negotiations. During his presentation, the speaker highlighted the recommendations made in the 39th Ordinary Conference of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, from 23 to 24 March 2011. These recommendations are focused on the preservation of independent resources of regional organizations, the agreement for a market opening up to 70% over a period of 25 years, obtaining additional financial resources from EU to fund PAPED ( EPA Program for Development), the maintaining of the clause of the most favored nation, the implementation of simple rules that are favorable to development and finally the non-adoption of mechanisms affecting regional trade relations on the basis of unilateral political sanctions under the non-execution clause.
The meeting urged the negotiators of the two regions to continue their consultations to reach an agreement on pending differences, including issues of agricultural subsidies of the European Union and this latter’s relations with Turkey.
At the end of the 7th Meeting of the ECOWAS / UEMOA Joint Technical Secretary, co-chaired by Mr. Lassané Kabore, Director of Multilateral Surveillance of the ECOWAS Commission and Mr. Raymond Assoukou Krikpeu, Director of Cooperation with UEMOA, the participants agreed on the dates from 3rd to 6th of October 2011 to hold the next meeting in the town of Praia, Cape Verde.