The 6th Retreat of the Network of all Legal Advisers across the ECOWAS institutions, agencies and offices was organised by the Legal Affairs Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission and held in Banjul, The Gambia from 17-21 December 2024.

The Retreat commenced with a brief opening ceremony chaired by the Ag. Director, Legal Affairs, Mrs. Isatou Combeh NJAI. In her Opening Remarks, Mrs. NJAI welcomed all the participants to The Gambia and thanked the members for their commitment to the Network.

The participants of the Legal Advisers Network were representative of the ECOWAS Commission, ECOWAS Parliament and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

Recall that The Network of Legal Advisers of ECOWAS Institutions, Agencies and Offices is an initiative of the ECOWAS Commission’s Legal Affairs Directorate, which provides a platform for legal co-operation and professional exchange.

The Network holds two annual retreats, one before the mid-year statutory meetings and the second, before the year-end statutory meetings with view to:

• Draft, review and align texts in three languages to be considered at the statutory meetings of ECOWAS to ensure compliance with the provisions/requirements of the Community and international instruments.
• Map out the modalities for implementing management’s directive for centralised preparation of all contracts of the Community at the Commission.
• Explore possible avenues for harmonization and convergence of the activities of Legal Advisers of the Network.
• Discuss the creation of further opportunities for interaction between members of the Network.