Liberia News: Liberian Diplomat Attends ECOWAS Community Court Of Justice Conference In Sierra Leone
By: Moses M. Tokpah
Monrovia-May-21-TNR:An outstanding Liberian Diplomat, Chief Dr. William D. Towah is among sub-regional leaders in the Sierra Leonean capital of Free Town attending the 2024 International Conference of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
The conference is being held under the theme: “Enhancing the role, relevance and effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice through the strengthening of synergies between the court and national stakeholders” from the 13-16 of May 2024.
The weeklong conference brought together legal experts, justices of respective high courts, professors, officials of government, civil and human rights organizations, scholars, law students, the media and professional groupings from all ECOWAS member countries.
The Court was established by the Lagos Treaty of May 28, 1975. He also stated that the ECOWAS Revised Treaty was adopted in July 1993 and was recognized as the fundamental charter of ECOWAS and the roadmap for the economic integration of the Community.
Dr. Towah and other prominent Liberian guests at the conference include, Liberia’s Chief Justice, Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay, Hon. Edwin W. Harris, Director General of the Inter-governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa.
The Liberian Diplomat had sideline meetings with officials of governments, prominent figures of ECOWAS member states in projecting his country for goodies, highlighting Liberia’s readiness for foreign investment.
In a brief chat with Choice Media Network Dr. Towahmentioned that the ECOWAS Court of Justice plays a pivotal role in advancing these noble objectives by upholding the principles of justice, fairness, and the rule of law across our region.
“As members of the ECOWAS, we are bound together by a shared vision of regional integration, cooperation, and promoting peace and prosperity for our people” he stated.
Dr. Towah used the occasion to urge Liberians to make used of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice stating that the court is for everybody and its rulings are void of political and tribal sentiments.
Chief, Dr. William Towah who is well respected in the sub-region for his exemplary services to the regional body, is currently the Director of Finance and Administration at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria.
The weeklong conference was officially opened by H. E , DrJulius Maada Bio President of the Republic of Sierra Leone where he expressed delight at the choice of Sierra Leone as a destination for the 2024 conference and reminded participants that the country was one of the founding members of ECOWAS in May 1975 and had remained firmly committed to the ideals and aspirations of its treaty.
The President urged member countries that “the need for cooperation and integration amongst our people in West Africa requires our concerted and best efforts. Such cooperation and integration are partly the key to our sub-region’s prosperity and the well-being of our people.
For his part, Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, President Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS in his closing speech mentioned that we cannot overemphasize the fact that law is at the center of any regional integration effort and that the harmonization of laws, and a judicial organ for the interpretation of the treaty is a prerequisite.
According to him, the object and purpose of an integration treaty cannot be achieved without an effective legal organ. “It is therefore in our collective interest to strengthen the ECOWAS Court of Justice rather than weaken it, therefore, I am humbly appealing to the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to restore the Membership of the Court to seven independent judges and to restore the tenure of the judges of the Court to five years renewable for another term of five years as was prescribed in the initial Protocol on the Court” he noted.
He said there is also the need for Member States to comply with the judgments of the Court in good faith.
