Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
As the global community celebrated World Peace Day, WPD, ECOWAS Commission has pledged greater commitment to regional peace and security.
At a ceremony in Abuja, the Commission symbolically launched the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF)’ special documentary which highlights the regional bloc’s peace-building strides; taking stock of ECOWAS projections on its conflict prevention efforts -past, present and future.
Addressing participants in the hybrid event, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, represented by his Special Adviser, Ambassador Mambury Njie, stressed that, achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms.
According to him, it requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish and involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or race.
President Touray maintained that the ideals of the WPD is in tandem with the ECOWAS Vision 2050 which envisages a fully integrated Community of peoples, living in a peaceful and prosperous region, with strong institutions and respect for fundamental rights and freedom, striving for inclusive and sustainable development.
Also speaking the President of the ECOWAS Community Court, Justice Edward Asante, who was represented by the Chief Registrar of the Institution Mr. Tony Anene-Maidoh, noted that for a region whose recent history is dominated by wars and political upheavals, her citizens now have a greater appreciation of the imperative of peace as a critical foundation for constructing integration edifice.
In his goodwill message, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Nigeria who was represented by Mr. Ronald Kayanja, spoke on the theme of this year’s celebration: “End Racism. Build Peace”, stressing the need for a united front against all evils in societies and communities.
According to him, instead of fighting one another, we should come together to fight our common enemy; racism, poverty, and climate change.
After an exultation on the virtues of Peace by the chief host and ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (CPAPS), Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musa, represented by the Director, Peace-keeping and Regional Security, Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethom, there were also goodwill messages from the Chair of the ECOWAS Permanent Representative Committee and Ambassador of Guinea Bissau to Nigeria, Mr Joao Butiam, the chief of party, USAID-REWARD, Mr. Alimou Dialllo, the Director Research and Policy Analysis, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, and the ECOWAS Staff Representative Dr. Tony Elemelu, among others.
The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations in 1981 and represents a symbolic globally shared date for humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace.
Participants at the ECOWAS World Peace Day commemoration also included Members of the Diplomatic Corps, key regional peace and security actors as well as development partners.
