ECOWAS Court Delegation in Côte d´Ivoire for weeklong outreach

A delegation from the ECOWAS Court of Justice, led by its President, Hon. Judge Edward Amoako Asante, has arrived in Abidjan this Sunday, February 16, 2020, for a weeklong outreach to improve the visibility of the Court in the country. 

The delegation also includes the Vice-President of the Court, the Hon. Judge Gberi-be Ouattara as well as the three other members of the college of judges: Hon. Justices Dupe Atoki, Keikura Bangura and Januária Tavares Silva Moreira Costa. Also in the delegation is the Chief Registrar, Directors and other staff.

During the campaign, the delegation will undertake a sensitization programme on February 18, 2020, for Members of the Bar Association, Officials of the Immigration, Customs and Police, Civil Society Organizations, Women Groups, Academics, Deans of Faculties of Law, ECOWAS National Office, ECOWAS Ambassadors, ECOWAS Special Reps, Ministry of Justice Officials and Students.

On February 19 2020, the delegation will host a special forum for lawyers and law students followed on February 20 with a town hall/open forum for Ministers, Media practitioners, other Government Officials, Civil Society Organisations, Women Groups, Police, Immigration, Customs, ECOWAS Ambassadors/Special Representative of ECOWAS, Market women, Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ivorians in the diaspora.

A judicial dialogue/forum for judges will be held on Friday, February 21 2020.

All the activities, expect the judicial dialogue which will be held at the Supreme Court, will take place at the office of the Special Representative of ECOWAS to Cote d’Ivoire in Cocody.

The outreach, the second phase of an enhanced campaign launched last year in Cape Verde, Liberia and Sierra Leone, is part of the Court’s effort to improve public awareness of the recourse it offers for Community citizens, particularly in the areas of human rights that has become its preeminent mandate.

It also designed to enable the Court engage with Community citizens, mainly the critical stakeholders for an enhanced appreciation of its role in ECOWAS integration, its mandate, mission, competence, jurisprudence and how citizens can access the Court. 

The campaign has an advocacy component with courtesy calls expected to be paid on His Excellency the President of the Republic, senior members of the government, the President of the Supreme Court as well the members of the Ivorian Bar Association. The delegation will also meet with officials linked to the integration process such as the police, customs and immigration.

Before departing on February 22 2020, the delegation will host a press conference to engage with the media on the various aspects of the campaign and how they can continue working together to improve awareness of the Court in the country.