The Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commenced a four-day regional workshop to review the draft ECOWAS Civil-Military Coordination Strategy for Humanitarian Action.
The workshop, taking place from 5th to 8th August 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria, brings together technical experts from ECOWAS Member States, Centres of Excellence, Civil Society Organizations, media establishments, and humanitarian partners across West Africa.
During the workshop, participants will review and refine the draft strategy, ensuring that the final version aligns with international best practices. Once finalized, the document is expected to be adopted as a regional policy framework guiding civil-military relations in humanitarian contexts.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Head of the Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Division, representing the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, highlighted the increasing complexities of the humanitarian environment in West Africa. He noted that ECOWAS, since the adoption of its Humanitarian Policy in 2012, has acknowledged the importance of a well-coordinated relationship between civilian actors and the military/security operatives.
“Disasters, internal displacement, refugee crises, food insecurity, pandemics — these are all scenarios that often require cooperation between humanitarian actors and security personnel. Unfortunately, we’ve also witnessed instances of misunderstanding between both parties during such operations. This strategy aims to resolve that,” Dr. Ibrahim stated.
The workshop builds on Strategic Objective 7 of the ECOWAS Humanitarian Policy Plan of Action, which mandates the Community and its Member States to “establish and implement standards and guidelines for the use of military assets in emergencies.” This mandate is further reinforced by the ECOWAS Protocol on Conflict Prevention, Management, Peacekeeping, and Security adopted in 1999, which emphasizes the need for multidimensional missions involving civilians, military, and police forces.
The ECOWAS Civil-Military Coordination Strategy is designed to serve as a framework for seamless interaction between civilian humanitarians and military/security actors during emergencies. The initiative acknowledges the increasing involvement of the military in humanitarian settings and seeks to ensure that such participation remains coordinated, respectful of humanitarian principles, and effective.
At the end of the workshop, participants are expected to produce a comprehensive, internationally aligned strategy document that will enhance humanitarian coordination and delivery in West Africa. ECOWAS also anticipates valuable recommendations from the participants to enrich the regional process and further institutionalize civil-military cooperation for humanitarian effectiveness.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
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