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The Africa and West Asia (AWA) program of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International – IDEA) has officially invited former president Ernest Bai Koroma to participate in the first annual retreat for Special Envoys and High Officials of the Economic Community of West African States and IGAD.
The Institute is organizing the first annual retreat for Special Envoys and High Officials of ECOWAS and IGAD on Unconstitutional Changes of Government and Constitutional Transitions.
The retreat will be hosted in Banjul, The Gambia, from the 21st to the 23rd of October 2022.
The event is been organized with the support of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of The Gambia.
The retreat proposes to bring together selected special envoys and high-level officials from ECOWAS and IGAD in countries in transition, renowned experts in constitutional transitions, members of the diplomatic community, representatives of the think tanks, partners from the Government of The Gambia, and the International IDEA experts.
The aim of the retreat is to enable an exchange of experience and sharing of knowledge on constitutional transitions and Unconstitutional Changes of Government. (UGC).
The retreat seeks to strengthen relationships between International IDEA and RECs to enhance corporation on preventing and addressing UCG and supporting inclusive constitutional transitions.
Given the critical role in supporting ECOWAS as African Union Commission’s efforts on mediation in constitutional transitions and preventing UCGs, International IDEA deemed it fit to invite former president Koroma to participate in the retreat.
Former president Koroma is expected, among other things to be one of the discussants in one of sessions titled Impact of Constitutional Transition and UCGs on security and democratic development in ECOWAS and IGAD Regions.
The Africa and West Asia (AWA) program of International IDEA (AWA IDEA) is working to revitalize its partnership with Africa Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other regional mechanisms.
This is particularly important in the context of the shared objective of preventing and addressing challenges of constitutional transitions and unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) all across the continent.
According to the organizers, the objective is in line with the SDG16 focusing on promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions at all levels, and African aspirations outlined in the AU Agenda 2063 toward an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law (Aspiration 3), and securing a peaceful and secure Africa (Aspiration 4).
The activity falls under Section IV B of the Overview of IDEA programming submitted to the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The relevant programming according to them, under Section IV B, aims to contribute to the Netherlands MFA DSH Theory of Change Objective.
“We aim to enable stakeholders to contribute to sustaining peace, to prevent the outbreak, continuation, escalation, and recurrence of violent conflicts including by supporting efforts focused on conflict transformation and resolution at differed levels, including third mediation”.
There will also be bilateral meetings between IDEA and ECOWAS and IGAD, as well as with special guests and experts. Participants will include serving special envoys and high-level officials from ECOWAS and IGAD, in countries in transition, guests renowned experts in constitutional transitions, members of the diplomatic community, representatives of thank tanks, partners from the government of the Gambia, and International IDEA experts.
