The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), in collaboration with Cabo Verde’s Ministry of Family, Inclusion, Social Development and Labour, organised an In-Country Capacity Building Workshop for National Stakeholders on the Continental Results Framework (CRF) for Monitoring and Reporting on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

The workshop forms part of ECOWAS’s efforts to strengthen national mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related WPS commitments. It was implemented under the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, co-financed by the European Union, the German Government (BMZ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and implemented by GIZ.

Ms. Kelly Lopes, in delivering an opening remark on behalf of the Resident Representative of Cape Verde, highlighted the role Cape Verdean women play in social cohesion and that this training will enable their commitments to be documented at national and regional level. She acknowledged the commitment of the Commission’s effort to building the capacity of women especially with its renowned move on the development of the Women, Peace and Security Mentorship Academy and simplifying the Continental Result Framework.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Acting Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Mme Ilemobola Olubukola ADEMOLA-ADELEHIN emphasized the importance of women in leadership and decision-making spaces as they are at the Centre of vulnerabilities.  Hence, the informed deliberate intervention of the Humanitarian directorate towards women’s participation, protection and resilience building. This also reflects in its alignment with other global commitments especially with its adaptation of the African Union CRF into a simplified regional framework for effective monitoring and reporting on WPS across West Africa amongst many other initiatives.

Mrs. Valerie Arikpo-Ettah, Technical Adviser to the GIZ EPSG Project, reaffirmed GIZ’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS in strengthening regional capacity and advancing the implementation of the WPS Agenda.

The Honourable Minister for Family, Inclusion, Social Development and Labour, Dr. Adelsia de Jesus Mendes Almeida, expressed appreciation to ECOWAS and its partners for strengthening the capacity of  national stakeholders’ in monitoring the implementation of the WPS agenda using the CRF tool. She noted that the workshop was timely, as Cabo Verde is working towards developing its first National Action Plan for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. She also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to gender parity and increased women’s representation in leadership and the military.

The workshop brought together over 30 participants from government ministries, security institutions, women and youth organisations, the media, and civil society to strengthen their capacity to use the CRF tool for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in Cabo Verde.

By the end of the workshop, participants called on ECOWAS and Its partners for technical and financial support in developing its first National Action Plan, continued capacity-building initiatives for quality and effective response to the implementation of the WPS Agenda and utilization of the CRF tool and provision of WPS knowledge materials at national and institutional level to support sustainable implementation, monitoring and reporting of the WPS Agenda.

The workshop in Cabo Verde marked the completion of ECOWAS’s planned series of in-country capacity-building training on the Continental Results Framework (CRF), to strengthen Member States’ capacity to monitor and report on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda at the national level. However, this milestone does not signal the end of ECOWAS’s commitment to the WPS Agenda. The Commission and its partners remain committed to strengthening national capacities, enhancing accountability and advancing the implementation of the WPS Agenda across the community.