.ECOWAS COURT AT CRITICAL CROSSROADS AMIDST REGIONAL CHALLENGES

.ECOWAS COURT AT CRITICAL CROSSROADS AMIDST REGIONAL CHALLENGES

President, ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, says the court presently stands at a crossroads amid the challenges of enforcing its judgments, human rights protection, innovation, governance and regional integration.

He said this at the 2026 Annual International Conference of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS in Dakar, Senegal.

The Community Court, established 25 years ago, is ECOWAS’ principal judicial organ for the interpretation and application of law in the subregion.

Gonçalves notes that the court remained a critical partner in the realisation of the broader strategic objectives and aspirations of the peoples of West Africa as enshrined in the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and urged participants to deliberate with candor to make decisions with courage, as the court ought to contribute more effectively to human rights protection, innovation, good governance and regional integration, going forward.

The court he says had embarked on a process of institutional transformation to enhance its effectiveness, accessibility and responsiveness, among which is the planned establishment of the court’s Appeal Division.

Another transformational milestone is the adoption of the Court’s Arbitration Rules, which opened new opportunities for the peaceful and efficient settlement of disputes and comprehensive regional dispute resolution mechanism.

ECOWAS Commission President, Birame Diop further notes that the gap between the authority of the court’s decisions and their execution remained one of the most serious tests of the court’s credibility.

Represented by the ECOWAS Director of Legal Affairs, the President adds that ECOWAS would continue to engage Member States toward ensuring the enforcement of the court’s judgments by national authorities.

Senegal’s Supreme Court President, Justice Mouhamadou Mbaye, added that when institutions like ECOWAS Court are weak, rights must become a safe refuge for the protection of shared values and the community.