ECOWAS COMMISSION CONVENES COUNCIL OF THE WISE MEETING TO FOSTER GREATER EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REGIONAL MEDIATION ORGAN

The ECOWAS Commission is holding its third Retreat of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise (CoW) from 17-18 March 2026, in Accra, Ghana.

The two-Day Retreat is examining, among others, perspectives on governance, peace and security trends in the ECOWAS region, lessons learnt as well as the adoption of the roadmap for the re-constitution of the CoW.

In addition, the Retreat is convened to deliberate and make recommendations on how to make the mediation organ of the regional community more effective in an ever-dynamic world.

Declaring the Retreat open, the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who was represented by the a Member of the Council, H.E. Hadja Alari Awahanatu Cole, noted that despite the limited resources at the disposal of the Council, members offered the best they could in service to the people, through the pain of regional divisions as well as the challenge of unconstitutional changes of government, while the resilience of the West African spirit prevailed.

Former President Jonathan said in this regard: “We have navigated a landscape of unprecedented political volatility. We have sat at the tables of mediation, participated in election observation missions, and engaged in the ‘quiet diplomacy’ that often happens far from the cameras”

The Chairperson stated that the Retreat’s theme: Fostering the Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise,” was very apt, as it provides the opportunity for a meaningful review of the CoW’s performance over the last four years, and to peruse the 2025 Study on critical gaps of the Council, as well as a roadmap for greater impact.

Earlier, welcoming participants to the Retreat, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatu Musah extolled the virtues of the CoW as a pillar of the ECOWAS’ regional peace architecture, providing a “back-channel” diplomacy essential for stability during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the Community.

Admitting that the last four years have tested the collective resilience of all, Commissioner Musah cited the resurgence of military coups, democratic reversals, and the unprecedented withdrawal of three Member States from the Community as some of the developments that have challenged the very foundation of the ECOWAS’ integration agenda.

Noting that going forward, ECOWAS is looking at the greater maximization of the CoW’s experiences and resources, he said the Retreat was therefore a “direct call to action” and an opportunity to ensure that ECOWAS preventive diplomacy is not just reactive, but proactive and systemic while the experience remains ECOWAS’ greatest asset as the regional community navigates turbulent times.

Goodwill messages were also given during the opening by partners who are accompanying the ECOWAS’ CoW processes. Mr. Jonas Laes, the Deputy Ambassador of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana, stated that even as multilateralism is facing tough times from the points of view of the EU, ECOWAS regional integration and beyond, the partnership between EU and ECOWAS is built on a shared belief that peace and stability are best achieved through cooperation and dialogue.  His position was corroborated by Mr. Daniel Boehme, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Germany Embassy in Ghana.

The Retreat is supported by the CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The current ECOWAS Council of the Wise was constituted in May 2021.