By Alex Adi
The President of the ECOWAS Commission Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, has called for the strengthening of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as a panacea for achieving solidarity, equality, and sustainability. In an address at the G20 Ministerial Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, February 21, 2025, Dr. Alieu TOURAY emphasized that; stronger Regional Economic Communities would enhance international cooperation and multilateralism.
“If you want to deliver on solidarity, equality and sustainability, we must support and strengthen Regional Economic Communities (RECs). I would like to appeal to the Chair to include this call in the conclusions of these proceedings. Indeed, stronger Regional Economic Communities will give meaning to the calls for international cooperation and enhance multilateralism”
He also underscored the importance of debt sustainability as a driver of inclusive development and growth as well as a catalyst for stronger Regional Economic Communities. Economic analysts have warned that, failure to manage debt efficiently could result in minimized fiscal space, dependency on external aid and at the end affect growth.
Dr. Alieu Touray also acknowledged that Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds considerable promise for humanity and urged the G20 Task Force on AI to pay special attention to the risks of misusing AI in generating and disseminating fake news and disinformation that have the potential to disrupt social cohesion in Communities. He reaffirmed ECOWAS’ unflinching support and commitment to working with the South African Presidency at the G20 in achieving it set priorities.
“Paying attention to those challenges is not about restriction but about peace and security. ECOWAS therefore supports and welcomes the Task Force and urges the Task Force to pay special attention to the risks of misusing AI to generate and disseminate fake news and disinformation that have the potential to disrupt social cohesion in Communities”
The G20 or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union, and the African Union.
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa officiated last week’s Meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers under South African Presidency.
