ECOWAS - Economic Community of West African States

05/16/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/17/2023 01:39

ECOWAS Experts Meet in Bissau to Discuss Environmentally Sound Management Issues Affecting Member States

ECOWAS Experts Meet in Bissau to Discuss Environmentally Sound Management Issues Affecting Member States

16 May, 2023

Experts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau from May 16 and 17, 2023 to discuss and validate the draft harmonized regulation on environmental and social assessment and the draft regulation on the harmonisation of rules governing plastics and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in ECOWAS Member States.

The meeting is being organised by the ECOWAS Commission through the Directorate of Environment and Natural Resources under the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture.

The meeting which is placed under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Environment and Biodiversity of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Mr. Viriato Cassama, opens on May 16, 2023 with the participation of the WAEMU Commission, representatives of ECOWAS Member States and the ECOWAS Commission. The delegation of the ECOWAS Commission is led by the Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Guinea-Bissau, Professor Hamidou BOLY, representing the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Madam Massandjé TOURE-LITSE.

The validation of these two draft regulations is part of the implementation of the Supplementary Act relating to the ECOWAS Environmental Policy and the aim of their application is to contribute to better protection and safeguarding of the environment for the benefit of human and animal health in the region.

It should be recalled that the ECOWAS Commission, in close collaboration with the WAEMU Commission, within the framework of the implementation of the Convergence Protocol signed between the two institutions, organized several consultations which resulted in these two projects. regulations on plastic waste management and on environmental and social assessments.

This meeting of experts will be followed on Thursday, May 18, 2023 by that of the Technical Committee of Ministers in charge of the Environment in ECOWAS Member States.

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