On July 3, 2022, in Accra at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, Ghana will host the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.The Summit will signal the end of President Akufo-second Addo’s year in office.
The 12 ECOWAS member nations will be hosted by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who also serves as Chair of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. On September 7, 2020, in Niamey, Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, the previous President of Niger, concluded his term as ECOWAS Chairman, and President Akufo-Addo took over.
Based on his excellent leadership, ongoing institutional reforms aimed at reducing the number of Statutory Appointees of the ECOWAS Commission from Fifteen (15) to Seven (7), and streamlining operational costs, President Akufo-mandate Addo’s was extended by his peers for an additional year in June 2021. The Summit would examine and make decisions regarding the political, security, and humanitarian circumstances in the Region, among many other things.
Most importantly, the Summit will assess the situation in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, which were suspended from the organization as a result of their unlawful political transitions.
Before the summit, on June 29, 2022, in Accra, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, will host her counterparts from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security for the Mediation and Security Council Meeting. Updates on political developments in the region, particularly in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, as well as in the Sahel Region, will be given during the mediation and security council meeting.
Additionally, they would give updates on the region’s general level of unrest, issues with young unemployment, and the influence of diseases and pandemics on social unrest. On Thursday, June 30, 2022, and Friday, July 1, 2022, Ms. Ayorkor Botchwey will also host her colleagues and the Finance Ministers at the ECOWAS Council of Ministers Meeting. Among other things, they will discuss and make recommendations for the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to consider adopting regarding the finances, administration, and programs and activities of the ECOWAS institutions.
