Accra, March 13, 2020. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will established a National Early Warning and Response Centre in Accra, Republic of Ghana. This was made known during an advocacy visit to Accra by Madam Finda E.M. Koroma, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission from the 10th to 13th March 2020.

The advocacy visit was to engage with national authorities of Ghana on the establishment of the Ghana National Centre. The Ghanaian authorities reiterated their government’s commitment towards the establishment the National Early Warning and Response Centre before the end of this year.

During a sensitization workshop which was organised as part of the visit, H.E. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated that establishing National Early Warning and Response Centres has become very crucial, underlining the numerous benefits of to include coping with various challenges that ECOWAS Member States are confronted with ranging from security and terrorism, environment, crime and criminality, governance and health.

While delivering her keynote address, Madam Finda E.M. Koroma, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, whose speech was read by Mrs. Mainouna Konate, stressed the importance of establishing a National Early Warning and Response Centre in each ECOWAS Member State to face the increasing threats on human security in the region.

The creation of the National Early Warning and Response Centres is in line with the Decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in 2015, to enhance the capacity of each Member State to better address the major risks, threats and vulnerabilities affecting their countries.