Decisive efforts are needed by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states, the ECOWAS Commission and civil society to deal with the root causes of organised crime, enhance service delivery and support law enforcement agencies. Resolute actions against money laundering and corruption, which enable these illicit markets, are also vital.
These were among the issues discussed on 17 March at the first Regional Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Addressing Transnational Organised Crime (TOC) in West Africa held in Abuja, Nigeria.
The event’s opening by the ECOWAS Commission included the launch of the West African Research Network on Organised Crime (WARNOC). The network is part of the ECOWAS strategy to work with civil society to ensure effective responses to organised crime in line with the ECOWAS Political Declaration on the Prevention of Drug Abuse, Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organised Crimes in West Africa of 2008.
In this same context Mr. Clément BOUTILLIER Head of Democracy, Governance and Migration EU Delegation to Nigeria and Ecowas in his opening remarks specified that: ‘’Through the WARNOC, civil society organisations and experts will be able to contribute not only to the generation of a more holistic understanding of TOC in West Africa, but also directly shape better responses to organised crime in the region’’.
‘’This includes the need to work closely with communities to ensure multidimensional response to TOC both at the national and regional levels’’, Said Bernt-Michael Gelpke from the Federal Foreign Office (Germany).
Also present at this ceremony, H.E.M. TRAORE Kalilou, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria indicated that common strategies at the regional level will make it possible to fight more effectively against the TOC.
This network provided a platform for ECOWAS member states, the ECOWAS Commission and affiliated institutions, civil society organisations (CSOs), development partners and experts to explore new opportunities to tackle organised crime and enhance community resilience in West Africa.
Despite the significant efforts of ECOWAS member states and civil society, illicit economies linked to human trafficking, drugs and non-renewable resources remain a risk. The illicit trade in counterfeit medicines, methamphetamines and tramadol are reportedly growing in many parts of West Africa, as is the illicit trade of arms which threatens regional stability.
West Africa benefits from significant resilience to organised crime, but the region remains vulnerable to political setbacks, corruption and transnational organised crime. Further, in line with broader global trends, the COVID-19 pandemic has eroded state resilience and granted criminality new opportunities to flourish in West Africa.
The event was convened in the context of the Organised Crime: West African Response to Trafficking (OCWAR–T) project by GIZ in collaboration with the Institute for Security Studies and Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC). OCWAR-T supports ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania in reducing TOC by strengthening national and regional structures and capacities and is fostering evidence-led policy and decision-making. Specifically, OCWAR-T supports efforts in enhancing criminal investigation and prosecution, improving small arms control and reducing human trafficking. OCWAR-T is an ECOWAS support project, co-funded by the European Union and the German Government.
This regional dialogue follows a two-day training workshop on capacity building for WARNOC members on March 15-16, 2022.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
