Abuja, 22^nd June 2018. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is organising a 3-Day Workshop for journalists drawn from the 15-Member States of the Community.

The Workshop, holding from the 25th to the 27^th of June 2018 at the Commission’s Headquarter building, in Abuja, Nigeria, is meant to examine the “role of the media in promoting peace and security in the ECOWAS region”.

The Workshop aims to help disseminate information about ECOWAS peace and security mandate, as well as actions and programmes in Member States through national public and private media.

In order to enhance the visibility of ECOWAS peace and security interventions in Member States, the Workshop will provide West African journalists appropriate information on peace and security efforts of the ECOWAS Commission to enable them better informed and engaged with ECOWAS citizens and thereby effectively promote and security in the region.

In its interface, the Workshop will feature presentations by various Departments and Directorates of the ECOWAS Commission including the Peace Fund of the Department of Political Affairs Peace and Security (PAPS), the Secretariat of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework, (ECPF), Early Warning, Communication, Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Legal Affairs, as well as Humanitarian and Social Affairs.

The exercise which is being supported by the European Union (EU) is part of the communication and visibility strategy action plan of the ECOWAS Regional Peace, Security and Stability (ECOWAS-EU PSS) mandate programme.

The workshop is expected to produce recommendations of best practices in reporting ECOWAS peace building initiatives, understanding ECOWAS work in mediating conflicts, support for credible elections and deepening democratic governance among others.