ECOWAS COURT PRESIDENT APPLAUDS CAPE VERDE’S DEDICATION TO REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Honorable Justice Edward Amoako Asante, expressed commendation for Cape Verde’s commitment to regional integration during the visit of His Excellency Belarmino Monteiro Silva, Ambassador of Cape Verde to Nigeria and ECOWAS on the 16^th January 2024

Ambassador Monteiro Silva conveyed Cape Verde’s resolute commitment to ratify Court’s Supplementary Protocol A/SP1/01/05, a move applauded by Justice Asante as a significant step towards fostering deeper regional integration. However, the Ambassador highlighted two challenges currently impeding the ratification process.

The first challenge emphasized by the Ambassador is the absence of the protocol in Portuguese, Cape Verde’s official language, adding that this linguistic barrier has hindered the comprehensive review of essential texts by the National Assembly, extending beyond the Supplementary Protocol to include pivotal documents such as the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

The second challenge revolves around procedural differences, as international instruments are traditionally signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, necessitating subsequent ratification by the President. Ambassador Monteiro Silva assured Justice Asante of Cape Verde’s commitment to overcoming these hurdles.

During the meeting, the Ambassador also pledged Cape Verde’s prompt remittance of the Community Levy collected, reinforcing the country’s dedication to fulfilling its financial obligations within the ECOWAS community.

In response, Justice Asante commended Cape Verde’s earnest efforts towards integration and underscored the crucial role of the ECOWAS Court in fostering unity. He shared that the Court had actively increased the representation of Cape Verdean staff from one to four, demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and diversity.

In an encouraging gesture, Justice Asante urged Cape Verdean professionals to actively participate in the Court’s recruitment exercises. By doing so, he emphasized, they could play a vital role in shaping the institution and contribute significantly to the broader ECOWAS community.

The President of the Court also informed the Ambassador of the Court’s intention to hold a sensitization programme in Cape Verde to enhance nationals’ knowledge on the mandate, mission, activities and opportunities of the principal judicial organ of the Community.

Ambassador Monteiro Silva, appointed in October 2021, is the first-ever Ambassador to ECOWAS.