By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
A 4-day technical workshop on the Multi-disciplinary taskforce on the review of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Youth and Sports Policies and Strategic Action Plan has commenced in Accra.
ECOWAS adopted its Youth and Sports Policies and Strategic Action Plan in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
This move, according to the ECOWAS Director of Youth and Sports Development Centre, Mr. Francis Chuks Njoaguani when welcoming participants to the four (4) days event said was a real demonstration of an implicit expression of the Community’s commitment to promoting youth development and empowerment as well as enhancing the practice of sports with the view to bringing together young people from across the region to ensuring their balanced development.
Mr. Njoaguani explained further that the policy frameworks had an implementation period of five (5) years for the youth policy’s strategic plan of action, and ten years (2010-2020) for the sports policy which expired effectively in 2021.
He indicated that reviewing and updating the policy frameworks enable the Community to sustain the momentum of new activities being implemented in the two sectors and to respond adequately to new developments and emerging trends.
Article Nine (9) of the defunct sports policy, which deals with amendment and review, states inter alia “the policy shall be due for review and amendment every ten years from the date of its adoption or such a time as deemed fit by the ECOWAS Ministers of Sports or upon the recommendation of the ECOWAS Commission”.
“Article 9, therefore, provides justification for the periodic review and amendments of the document and accounts for our convergence in Accra today, to mitigate any vacuum that could be created by the expiration of the two policy documents.” The ECOWAS Director of Youth and Sports Development Centre stated.
A cursory look at the status of implementation of the frameworks in the last 10 years, reveals that there remain a number of issues that must be addressed or taken on board in order for sports and young people to really take their place in the development aspirations of ECOWAS.
The four-day review meeting of experts according to Mr. Njoaguani, will arm ECOWAS with up-to-date tools and mechanisms to respond to new and emerging global challenges and trends.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with gbcghanaonline’s Franklin ASARE-DONKOH on the sidelines of the workshop at the Erata Hotel, East Legon, Accra, the President of the ECOWAS Commission. His Excellency Dr. Omar Alieu Touray hinted that the future of ECOWAS will largely depend on the outcome of the four days policy review process.
According to him, the youth constitute the most vibrant, energetic, and innovative segment of the subregion’s population, thus it has become imperative to involve them in shaping the future of ECOWAS.
Dr. Touray was of the view that youth and sports development is critical in sustaining peace and security in the sub-region, saying sports is very key in the development agenda of ECOWAS because they transcend all types of barriers and obstacles be it in the field of culture, religion, tribe or nationality.
“If we have our youth very involved in the development and active participation of sports, ECOWAS will not witness religious extremists.
When we get them involved by way of decision-making and train them in leadership qualities and tolerance, we will have peace and security.” The President of the ECOWAS Commission retorted.
For this and many other reasons, we need these critical masses of our population involved in what we do so as to achieve not only economic integration but also social integration in the sub-region. H. E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray reiterated.
The four-day technical workshop on the Multi-disciplinary taskforce on the review of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Youth and Sports Policies and Strategic Action Plan will end on Friday, 28th April 2023.
