ECOWAS, UNOWAS DEEPEN COOPERATION ON COUNTER-TERRORISM, SUSTAINABLE PEACE

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism and growing insecurity, emphasising the importance of strategic partnerships and coordinated action in advancing sustainable peace across West Africa and the Sahel.

The renewed commitment emerged during a high-level engagement between the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. General Birame Diop, and a United Nations delegation led by Ambassador Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

The delegation paid a courtesy visit to the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja on November 3, 2026, providing an opportunity for both institutions to reaffirm their shared resolve to deepen cooperation in addressing the region’s interconnected security and development challenges.

Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between ECOWAS and UNOWAS through the development of effective institutional frameworks to address terrorism, insecurity and conflicts threatening stability across West Africa and the Sahel.

The engagement reflects ECOWAS’ recognition that the growing complexity of regional security challenges requires sustained collaboration between regional organisations, the United Nations and other international partners, particularly in confronting threats that transcend national borders.

For the regional bloc, counter-terrorism remains an important pillar of its broader peace and security agenda, given the far-reaching consequences of violent extremism on democratic governance, economic activities, humanitarian conditions and the livelihoods of millions of citizens.

Across West Africa and the Sahel, insecurity has continued to place pressure on national institutions, disrupt cross-border economic activities, displace vulnerable populations and complicate efforts to deepen regional integration.

Against this backdrop, stronger cooperation with UNOWAS offers an important platform for advancing coordinated approaches to conflict prevention, regional security and sustainable peacebuilding.

The emphasis on effective cooperation frameworks also highlights the need to strengthen institutional coordination and ensure that regional responses are sufficiently comprehensive to address both immediate security threats and the underlying conditions that fuel instability.

Beyond military and security interventions, sustainable peace requires preventive diplomacy, effective governance, social cohesion, development opportunities and stronger institutions capable of responding to emerging conflicts.

ECOWAS has consistently maintained that regional stability is fundamental to its integration agenda, recognising that insecurity in one member state can generate political, economic and humanitarian consequences across neighbouring countries.

The renewed engagement with UNOWAS therefore underscores the importance of collective responsibility in protecting regional stability and reinforcing the structures required to prevent conflicts from escalating.

It also reinforces the strategic relevance of the partnership between ECOWAS and the United Nations in supporting West African countries as they confront evolving security threats and pursue a more peaceful and prosperous regional future.

Ultimately, the Abuja meeting signals a shared determination by both institutions to build on their existing relationship, strengthen regional and international cooperation and advance practical responses to terrorism, insecurity and conflict.

For ECOWAS, the message remains clear: sustainable regional integration cannot be achieved without peace and security, while lasting peace requires coordinated action, strong partnerships and an enduring commitment to addressing the challenges confronting the region.