The ECOWAS Commission, in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office, the European Union, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and in close collaboration with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Secretariat in Vienna, Austria has organised an inter-regional study visit aimed at enhancing cyber diplomacy.

The head of the delegation is Mr. Sédiko Douka, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitisation. The study visit, scheduled to take place from September 9 – 13, 2024, will bring together diplomats from ECOWAS Member States and other regions, including the Americas and the Asia. This visit aims to facilitate the exchange of information with international cyber diplomats, particularly from other Regional Economic Communities such as the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organisation of the Americas (OAS) and the African Union. Participants will learn about best practices in Confidence Building Measures (CBM) governance and implementation, gaining practical insights applicable to the ECOWAS region and sharing their own experiences.

Additionally, participants will observe the meeting of the Informal Working Group Established by PC Decision 1039.  The purpose is to gain insights from the OSCE and its Member States on the CBM process, as ECOWAS prepares to establish its own mechanism for cyber confidence building and adopt a first set of CBMs.

This collaborative effort underscores the commitment of both organisations to address the growing challenges in the digital domain and to foster stronger international cooperation.

The inter-regional study visit is part of the Joint Platform for Advancing Cyber Security in West Africa, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office within the framework of the ECOWAS-German and EU partnership and was established under the German chairmanship of the G7 in 2022.

The Joint Platform for Advancing Cyber Security in West Africa will focus on building regional cyber diplomacy, combatting cybercrime, ensuring data sovereignty, and protecting critical infrastructure.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Today at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. President Steinmeier is on an official visit to Egypt, accompanied by a large delegation of German business executives. An official reception ceremony was held for the German President and the national anthems of the two countries were played.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said the two Presidents held a closed session of talks, following by an expanded meeting attended by the two countries’ delegations. President El-Sisi welcomed President Steinmeier’s first visit to Egypt as President of the Federal Republic of Germany and the first by a German President in 25 years. President El-Sisi underscored the Egyptian people’s appreciation of the firm friendship they share with the German people. The President commended Germany’s industrial and technological progress, confirming that Egypt looks forward to benefiting from this advancement through joint projects. He highlighted the German companies’ important role in transferring technology and building the capacities of Egyptian cadres.

President Steinmeier expressed Germany’s appreciation of Egypt’s leadership and people, confirming its keenness on further advancing relations and on forging closer cooperation with Egypt in an array of domains, including development and investment as well as energy, migration and counterterrorism. This is in addition to strengthening the longstanding scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The German President expressed his pleasure at the opening of the German International University in the New Administrative Capital. He also highlighted his keenness on being accompanied by a delegation of executives of major German companies during his current visit to Egypt, where he will also visit a number of work and production sites where German companies are engaged, working side by side with skilled and efficient Egyptian companies and workers.

The meeting also focused on various regional and international issues of common interest, notably the war in the Gaza Strip. President El-Sisi reiterated the vital importance of an immediate and urgent end to the bloody war, which caused a catastrophic humanitarian disaster. The President emphasized the imperative need for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state and the enforcement of the two-state solution, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, as the only path to achieving sustainable peace and security in the region.

Following the talks, the two Presidents held a joint press conference, reviewing the key issued addressed during their meeting.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) has organised a capacity building workshop for the ECOWAS Gender Equality Committee (GEC) and other Civil Society Stakeholders from September 9 – 11, 2024, in Accra, Ghana with support from GIZ and the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa.

The Gender Equality Committee is composed of focal points of ECOWAS Institutions, Depart-ments and Agencies who have been designated to facilitate the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal.

The three (3) days training is to equip the members of the ECOWAS Gender Equality Committee (GEC) with the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to implement the GES-PI in the different ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies.

In her opening remarks, Madam Sandra Oulaté Fattoh, the Director of the ECOWAS Gender and Development Centre (EGDC), highlighted that ECOWAS leaders have consistently demonstrat-ed ample commitment to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region, as exemplified by their commitment expressed in Article 63 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty to formulate, harmonise, co-ordinate and establish appropriate policies and mecha-nisms for the enhancement of the economic, social and cultural conditions of women.

“For us to give real meaning to the commitment of our leaders to eliminate gender inequalities and disparities in our region, ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies, must begin with ourselves. We must first of all take the necessary steps to mainstream gender in our strat-egies and programmes and ensure that the internal structures and processes within ECOWAS Institutions and Agencies are all gender sensitive” She added.

Mrs. Doerte Diallo, Head of the Bilateral BMZ Project “Supporting Human Rights, Gender Equal-ity and Civil Society” in Ghana, in her statement underscored that a more practical, evidence-based

approach is needed to promote institutional accountability and effectiveness in achieving gender equality. She reiterates GIZ’s commitment to this noble cause. “Together, we can cre-ate a future where every woman and man have an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential and contribute fully to the development of our region”, she added.

Dr. Mathias Naab, Director UNDP-Regional Service Centre for Africa represented by Ms. Cleo-patra Phiri-Hurungo, Gender Team Lead, expressed their happiness to witness this milestone achievement by ECOWAS in adopting the Gender Equality Seal as a framework to drive gender equality forward. Adding that the GES-PI, represents a powerful tool with the potential to transform the gender landscape across West Africa.

In her opening remarks, Hon. Dakoa Newman, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Ghana, who was represented by Mrs. Faustina Akua Frempomaa Acheampong, the Director of the Department of Gender, stressed that the timing for this train-ing workshop is crucial considering the global collective goal of bridging the gender gaps that continue to pertain even though a lot of efforts to promote the wellbeing of women and girls have rigorously been pursued.

Hon. Newman highlighted that despite the efforts being made, more is still needed to raise gender awareness and invest in sensitization to dismantle existing stereotypes that negatively affect gender mainstreaming efforts.

At the end of the training about 45 staff members of ECOWAS Institutions and Agencies will acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities to roll out the Gender Equality Seal for Public Insti-tutions (GES-PI), enabling conditions are created for the roll out of the GES-PI in ECOWAS Insti-tutions and Agencies, and a comprehensive roadmap is adopted for the roll out of the GES-PI in ECO-WAS Institutions and Agencies, among others.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Today, the United States, through USAID, announced $2 million in additional humanitarian assistance in response to widespread flooding in Chad. Since late July, ongoing heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in Chad has impacted nearly 1.5 million people countrywide, resulted in the deaths of at least 341 people, washed away livelihoods, and compounded significant pre-existing humanitarian needs.

Chad is already facing concurrent crises in various parts of the country, including ongoing food insecurity, armed group activity, and persistent needs of more than 1.2 million refugees sheltering in Chad, including over 636,000 Sudanese refugees and 201,000 Chadian returnees from Sudan, with significant humanitarian needs among the most vulnerable.

The additional funding announced today will step up the USAID response and allow trusted humanitarian partners like the International Organization for Migration to provide emergency shelter and water, sanitation, and hygiene support in the most impacted communities to keep people safe and healthy, and will support the UN World Food Program to provide emergency food assistance to those in greatest need.

The United States has provided more than $168 million in humanitarian assistance for the people in need in Chad to date in fiscal year 2024. The U.S. stands with communities and refugees in Chad as they continue to require life-saving assistance to meet basic needs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United States Agency for International Development (USAID).