Chair: The Republic of Ghana
Theme: “Free Movement of Persons for the Regional Integration and Economic Cooperation”
Objective of MIDWA 2014: Discuss the current state of ECOWAS integration, as it affects the Free Movement Protocols, and generate valuable insights for improved policymaking.
Specific Objectives:

• Raise awareness on the ECOWAS free movement agenda and inform stakeholders about the ongoing revisions of the Free Movement Protocols.
• Assess the economic benefits of free movement for intra-regional trade and investment.
• Evaluate opportunities and challenges in the implementation of the Free Movement Protocols in Member States

Human mobility is also one of the defining features of today’s world affirming the right of freedom of movement. It is a major characteristic of globalization informed by the movement of factors of production across borders in today’s global village.” – Honorable Hanna Serwaah Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana

Key Recommendations

• Accelerate the issuance process of the ECOWAS National Biometric Card;
• ECOWAS Commission to develop training manuals for all Member States to enhance the technical and operational capacities of Security, Immigration and Border Officials for effective migration and border management;
• Member States to accelerate the deployment of traveler identification systems at official land borders;
• Member States to develop and strengthen Civic Registration Systems in Member States.

• Member States to exempt ECOWAS Community Citizens from payment of fees for the identification of non-nationals;
• Member States should remove the requirements for Residence Cards for ECOWAS citizens in territories of Member States in compliance with the directives of the ECOWAS Heads of States Summit in March 2000.

• ECOWAS Commission to development information strategies and materials to sensitize ECOWAS Community Citizens on ECOWAS migration instruments;
• Member States to publish, share and disseminate sensitization information at the national level in collaboration with local leaders and civil society organizations (CSOs).

• ECOWAS Commission to set up a Ministerial committee to follow up and evaluate the implementation of the ECOWAS protocols;
• ECOWAS Commission to support the establishment of border information and observation centers;
• ECOWAS Commission to support the replication of the mechanism deployed by West African Transporters (the regional mechanism);
• Member Stats to eliminate or reduce border check points to reasonable levels to minimize travel delays and the harassment of travelers.

• ECOWAS Commission to establish a regional system for information and protection in West Africa;
• Member States to facilitate the access to justice for ECOWAS Community Citizens who are victims of violations of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocols.

• Member States to establish national dialogues on migration;
• ECOWAS Commission to institutionalize and integrate MIDWA into the ECOWAS structures;
• ECOWAS Council of Ministers to adopt the MIDWA working modalities.