ECOWAS, UNHCR Meet on Strengthening Partnerships Towards Sustainable Programmes in the Region

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), meets in Abuja on August 14, 2024, to boost partnerships.

The UNHCR high-level delegation led by Mr. Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection and Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, Director, Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa were at the ECOWAS Headquarters to seek support to strengthen partnerships with the ECOWAS Commission as UNHCR advances towards sustainable programmes in the ECOWAS Region.

While welcoming the delegation, H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, highlighted the prevailing humanitarian situation in the ECOWAS Region mostly because of conflicts leading to displacement of populations and food insecurity, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin Regions.

The Vice President informed the UNHCR delegation that there are currently about 7,337,979 forcibly displaced population due to conflicts, violence and disasters in the ECOWAS Region, including 6,526,928 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 811,051 refugees and asylum seekers.

H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, urged the UNHCR to continue to support the ECOWAS Commission and Member States to implement their Global Refugee Forum (GRF) pledges. She highlighted that ECOWAS has committed about 9 million USD from the Humanitarian budgets in 2024 to assist refugees, IDPs, asylum seekers and stateless persons.

She assured the Delegation that ECOWAS will continue to work with UNHCR to achieve durable solutions in the management of refugee situations while working towards the reduction of displacements and its eradication in the Region.

In his statement Mr. Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations applauded ECOWAS on the Regional Policy on Asylum being developed and assured H.E. Tchintchibidja, that the UNHCR will work closely with ECOWAS to implement programmes. He added that a regional approach and strategy will be needed for the current humanitarian situation in the Region.

The ECOWAS Commission and UNHCR renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations in 2023 amidst increased violent conflicts, disasters, and insecurity in some Member States.