N°: 216/2013
22 July 2013 [Abuja - Nigeria]
ECOWAS and partners of its Peace and Development Project, have concluded a three-day final review of the implementation of the US$15-million programme through which more than 41,000 citizens of the region have been provided humanitarian assistance and institutional capacity strengthened in Member States coming out of conflict.
Represented at the review meeting, which ended in Abuja on 19th July, 2013, were officials of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which funds the Support to ECOWAS Peace and Development Project (PADEP) and the UNHRC, the implementation partners of the project’s humanitarian component.
Also represented were UNESCO, which collaborated with ECOWAS in developing a Reference Manual on the Culture of Peace and Good Citizenship, and the UN Volunteer programme (UNV), which is supporting the ECOWAS Volunteer Programme (EVP) under the PADEP partnership.
Thousands of displaced community citizens (refugees and returnees) are being integrated into local communities in four post-conflict countries – Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau – under PADEP, which is coordinated by the ECOWAS Peace Fund (EPF).
The project beneficiaries are being supported with shelter, health and educational facilities as well as roads and livelihood support programmes.
More than 80 young ECOWAS volunteers have also been deployed in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, with Guinea Bissau next in line, under the EVP programme being implemented in partnership between UNV and the Ouagadougou based ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYDSC). The volunteers, specialists in various fields, are supporting the host countries in health, education, as well as youth and community development projects.
On the other hand, the Reference Manual is being incorporated into the curricula of primary schools as a way of promoting the culture of peace in the region.
AfDB Chief Economist, Mr. Paul Komi Dougna, said the meeting has enabled the bank to take stock of “what we’ve done as partners for the past seven years.”
For his part, UNV Programme Manager, Mr. Robert Toe, described the ECOWAS Volunteer Programme as the first of its kind in the region and therefore signified a positive move in achieving the ECOWAS Vision 2020 for transformation from “an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of people.”
Mr. Papa Guisse of UNESCO, Dakar, spoke in the same vein, noting that the UN agency was happy to partner with ECOWAS in deepening the culture of peace in West Africa.
Although, PADEP ended in June 2013, the consensus among the stakeholders and the beneficiaries is that an effective way should be found to sustain the gains and build on the lessons learnt from the project and also ensure ownership by the host communities and the beneficiaries.
The project achievements should also be properly highlighted through effective visibility strategy with a view to strengthening advocacy and mobilization of resources to PADEP successor project/programme.
Equally compelling is the need to assist conflict displaced persons to resume their normal lives, without unduly encouraging dependency syndrome among former refugees.
To this end, ECOWAS Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Daniel Eklu, implored the AfDB to extend the funding already in place for completion of the project.
Also, in his presentation, the EPF Manager, Mr. Dieudonne Nikiema noted that in spite of its challenges, PADEP has created a fertile ground for youth empowerment and the promotion of peace, while serving as a tool for socio-economic development and support for ECOWAS Vision 2020.
A final report detailing the project achievements, weaknesses and strengths as well as challenges and the way forward will follow this review meeting, which was also attended by officials of the relevant ECOWAS directorates.