By Emmanuel Gamson/Patricia Kantoh
Takoradi, March 1, GNA – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has engaged some students and youth on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols at a sensitisation workshop in the Western Region.
The workshop, organised in collaboration with the Media Response, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), and the Western Regional Coordinating Council, was to educate participants on the programmes/activities to enhance the wellbeing of the youth.
It was attended by heads of ministries, departments and agencies, students from second cycle and tertiary institutions, teachers, National Service Persons, traditional authorities and Youth Club Associations, among others.
They were taken through an Overview of ECOWAS, Mandates and functions of the Regional Integration Bureau, Achievements, prospects and challenges of the Community’s Youth Policy, and protocol on free movements, rights of residence and establishments.
Ambassador Perpetua O. Dufu, the Coordinating Director for Multilateral and International Organisations, Foreign Affairs Ministry, said the event was part of the Ministry’s efforts to broaden the youth’s knowledge on protocols and policies of the ECOWAS, to ensure they enjoyed the benefits of Ghana’s membership of the West African sub-regional bloc.
She said since its inception, ECOWAS had been steadfast in its dedication to fostering economic collaboration among its member states.
It identified the youth as pivotal in shaping the future of the West African Sub-Region, hence the need to provide them with invaluable insights into its achievements, challenges and prospects, she said.
Ambassador Dufu said the ECOWAS Youth Policy sought to harness the potential of the youth, due to the importance of youth leadership, for their meaningful involvement in decision-making processes at all levels, and shape policies that directly impacted their lives.
She encouraged the participants to take advantage of the numerous benefits that came with Ghana’s membership of ECOWAS to help better their socio-economic wellbeing.
Alhaji Mohammed Saani Adams, the Head of Policy Coordinating, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Youth and Sports, said the ECOWAS Youth Policy was designed to, among other things, mobilise the youth and get them adequately involved in the regional and development process of the Community.
The policy is anchored on youth participation, youth-driven policies, mainstreaming youth issues, and cultural and religious diversity.
It further mandated the youth in the sub-region to promote peace, security and development, and defend democracy and civility in the governance process in their countries.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said it was crucial to unearth the potentials of the youth by equipping them with the necessary information on the ECOWAS protocols as a catalyst for transformation in the sub-region.
He commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for championing the youth sensitisation drive to help them appreciate the relevance of ECOWAS.
GNA