LThe Economic Community of West African States Parliament commenced a significant session on Monday in Banjul, The Gambia, aimed at advancing the implementation of a vital protocol that enables the free movement of persons, the right of residence, and the establishment of businesses within the region.
According to The PUNCH, the five-day session, themed ‘Parliament’s Role in the Implementation of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Establishment in the ECOWAS Region’, gathered parliamentarians from across West Africa to deliberate on the challenges and potential benefits associated with realizing the protocol’s objectives.
Initially adopted on 29 May 1979, this protocol is a key element of ECOWAS’s broader vision for enhanced regional integration and economic cooperation among its member states.
During the opening ceremony, The Gambia’s Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, Baboucarr Joof, reiterated his nation’s dedication to regional integration principles.
Joof called on fellow parliamentarians to bolster legislative support for the protocol and to work in concert with national governments to surmount any barriers to its successful implementation.
“The theme for this meeting is self-explanatory and, in many ways, fundamentally overarching in relation to the totality of the objective for which ECOWAS as a body was established.
“Therefore, the free movement of people, the right to residence, and the concept of an unhindered opportunity for the community of the region to establish businesses freely across our borders are not just principles enshrined in our protocols—they are the true objectives of ECOWAS, the very foundation of the unity, economic integration, and prosperity that we seek for all our citizens,” he said.
,Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadija Ibrahima, also highlighted the crucial role of parliamentarians in ensuring the protocol’s successful implementation.
She urged policymakers and stakeholders to collaborate in overcoming challenges and in developing coordinated policies that would optimize the benefits of free movement throughout the region.
“Policymakers and all stakeholders must unify their efforts to identify challenges and propose solutions that will maximise the benefits of free movement, both at the regional and national levels. These objectives will only be achieved through the development of coordinated policies and actions,” she stated.
Key discussions during the session concentrated on aligning national laws with the protocol’s provisions, fostering coordinated efforts among member states, and securing the necessary resources to ensure effective implementation.
The session is scheduled to conclude on 30 August, with the release of a communiqué detailing the key recommendations and decisions.
This document will be forwarded to the ECOWAS Commission and Parliament for further evaluation and action.
