The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has intensified efforts to deepen regional integration and strengthen humanitarian safeguards with two high-level meetings currently underway in Abidjan and Abuja.

From March 3 to 5, customs administrations from four pilot member states — Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal are meeting in Abidjan to deliberate on the implementation of self-certification of Community origin under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

The self-certification initiative is designed to simplify and streamline procedures for determining the Community origin of goods traded within the region, thereby facilitating smoother cross-border commerce.

The ETLS remains ECOWAS’ principal instrument for promoting the free movement of goods produced within the sub-region.

Anchored on Article 3 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, the scheme has, since its inception in the 1990s, evolved to address the changing needs of member states and the private sector, particularly against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting global trading environment.

Observers say the pilot phase involving the four countries is expected to provide a framework for broader regional adoption, reducing administrative bottlenecks and enhancing private sector participation in intra-regional trade.

Meanwhile, in Abuja, ECOWAS has partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to host a three-day workshop focused on developing a comprehensive Protection of Civilians (PoC) policy for ECOWAS Peace Support Operations.

The workshop, organised through ECOWAS’ Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security, seeks to strengthen the bloc’s capacity to prevent and mitigate harm to civilian populations during peace operations across the region.

Participants are reviewing relevant regional and international frameworks while generating practical, operational recommendations tailored to ECOWAS’ peace support realities.

The outcome is expected to produce a robust, field-oriented policy framework to guide future missions.

The parallel engagements underscore ECOWAS’ dual commitment to advancing economic integration through trade facilitation while reinforcing its peace and security architecture amid evolving regional challenges.

Together, the initiatives reflect the bloc’s broader strategy to consolidate regional resilience, economically and institutionally in a complex global landscape.