ECOWAS Marks 50th Anniversary At UN, Calls For Unity and Shared Prosperity
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has celebrated its 50th anniversary with a vibrant high-level ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York, reaffirming its commitment to regional unity, peace, and multilateral cooperation.
Held in the iconic ECOSOC chamber, the event carried the theme: “United for a better future: promoting regionalism and multilateralism for shared prosperity.”
It drew a distinguished audience including top UN officials, ECOWAS leaders, diplomats, scholars, and development partners.
Opening the ceremony, Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai highlighted ECOWAS’s pivotal role in fostering peace, regional integration, and sustainable growth across West Africa.
She praised the resilience of the organisation over five decades and its growing relevance in an ever-evolving global landscape.
Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, underscored the importance of Vision 2050, which lays out a bold roadmap for the region’s future.
In his keynote address, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, addressed ongoing security challenges in West Africa, with particular focus on the operationalisation of the Regional Rapid Reaction Force and a proposed Citizens’ Pact to strengthen grassroots support for integration.
One of the ceremony’s most emotional moments was a video message from General Yakubu Gowon the last surviving founding father of ECOWAS who reminisced on the vision that birthed the organisation in 1975.
He made a heartfelt call for continued unity and solidarity, warning against division and urging West Africans to uphold the ideals of cooperation and shared destiny.
As ECOWAS looks ahead to the next 50 years, the tone at the UN event was one of cautious optimism, with speakers urging renewed commitment to regional solutions for regional challenges.
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