By Ramatoulie Jawo
On Friday, November 24, 2023, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission’s Communication Directorate, in partnership with the Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate, wrapped up a three-day meeting on the social protection framework at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara conference center in Bijilo.
The primary objective of the ECOWAS social protection framework is to promote regional unity in addressing poverty and inequality in the sub-region.
Delegates from member states, the ECOWAS Commission, civil societies, development partners, and stakeholders in social protection collaborated to finalize the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and Operation Plan. This comprehensive document, presented to the Ministers on Friday, is pivotal in garnering validation and adoption.
The framework serves as a foundational document for member states and partners, encouraging their commitment and investments in social protection to alleviate poverty and inequality in the sub-region.
In his closing remarks, the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Muhammad B.S. Jallow, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Gambian government to the ECOWAS Commission for choosing The Gambia to host this important expert and ministerial meeting. Emphasizing the importance of a harmonized framework aligned with ECOWAS mandates, he urged a collective commitment to inclusivity and transformation in the realm of social protection.
“Leaving no one behind, let us change the narrative of social protection, underscoring the collective commitment to inclusivity and transformation in this critical domain,” he stated.
The Vice President commended the experts for their significant contributions to the framework and operational plan.
Mariavittoria Ballotta, the UNICEF country representative, underscored the importance of the social protection framework in addressing challenges in the sub-region. He highlighted the potential to expand coverage, mentioning its role in extending social protection and prioritizing programs such as national safety nets, school feeding, and health insurance.
“The social protection framework is very important, and please allow me today to recall the few challenges the framework can address. The first challenge is the coverage. The framework can trigger momentum to extend the coverage of social protection in the region scaling up national safety net school feeding programs or health insurance is a high priority in this part of the continent,” he said.
Bintia Stephen Tchicaya, FAO Senior Policy Officer of the Sub-regional Office for West Africa, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of the framework. In this capacity, FAO pledged to provide technical assistance to member states, aiming to scale up and enhance social protection, increase productivity, and assist small-scale producers in better managing risks within agri-food systems.