Abuja, 8th November 2017. The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Marcel de Souza and the Director General of the African Risk Capacity (ARC), Mr. Mohamed Beavogui have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, on the 8^th November, 2017 to strengthen the West African Climate resilience.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions took place on the margins of the ECOWAS Annual Development Partners Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, setting a course for closer collaboration on political, technical, and financial grounds.  The partnership with ARC aligns with critical aspects of the ECOWAS Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction, with particular emphasis on the linkages with regional Agricultural Policy and climate change adaptation initiatives of ECOWAS.

Through this partnership, the ECOWAS Commission will further heighten awareness among West African nations of ARC’s work in assisting governments prepare for and respond to disasters effectively.  The advocacy will be matched with an exchange of knowledge, data, and methodologies of early warning and climate risk financing mechanisms between the ECOWAS Commission and ARC.  It will also include exploring innovative methods to use Africa RiskView, ARC’s early warning software to drive earlier response to disasters and assist West African nations to access funding to join ARC’s insurance risk pool.

As global climate negotiations are underway at the 23^rd United Nations Climate Change Convention in Germany, ARC and the ECOWAS Commission are taking a significant step to strengthen their partnership and amplify the impact of their work in disaster risk management, ensuring that the increasing risks of weather-related perils are addressed earlier and more effectively.

ARC was established in 2012 as a Specialised Agency of the African Union to help Member States better plan, prepare and respond to weather-related disasters.  ARC works with countries to reduce the risk of loss and damage caused by extreme weather events affecting Africa’s populations by providing sovereign disaster risk insurance and other support, including capacity building, contingency planning, and access to early-warning technology.

ARC plays an important role in responding to countries’ needs at times of crisis by providing fast access to funding for pre-agreed-upon, rapid response plans developed in conjunction with governments.  ARC’s financing complements other forms of local and international support.

On the other hand, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was created on 28^th May, 1975 to promote economic cooperation and regional integration as a tool for an accelerated development of the West African economy in line with the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government’s commitment to improve the West Africa integration process and enhance its effectiveness.