Monrovia, 24 May 2017. Issues of Community interest particularly the running of institutions and organs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alongside economic development of the West African sub-region are expected to dominate  the 21^st meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) of the regional organisation, slated to hold from 25 to 28 May 2017 in Monrovia, Liberia.

This meeting is the first of a series of important ECOWAS meetings, ahead of the 51^st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Community, on 4 June 2017, in the Liberian capital.

They include the meeting of the Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Institutional Reform on 29 and 30 May 2017, followed by the Mediation and Security Council on 31 May 2017, and the 78^th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, on 1^st and 2 June 2017.

The opening ceremony of the 78^th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers will feature addresses by Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Council Chair, Mrs Marjon Kamara, as well as ECOWAS Commission President, Marcel de Souza.

Council, made up of ECOWAS Foreign Affairs Ministers, will hear a special report of the President on the Commission’s finances at a closed-door session.

It will thereafter consider a series of documents, reports and memoranda for decision, approval and information.

Among items for information, the ministers will listen to presentations on various issues such as the organisation of the 8^th ECOWAS Trade Fair in Niamey, Niger, status of implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card, Monrovia Declaration on post-Ebola, ECOWAS membership application by Morocco and observer status by Tunisia, and cooperation agreement with Mauritania.

They will also be requested to approve the reports of sector ministers on the adoption of the  2016 – 2024 ECOWAS Action Plan on ending statelessness in the Community, establishment of the regional quality infrastructure and regional quality association, as well as the Resolution on cocoa and cashew industrial development.

Agenda items for decision include, in particular, the Financial Controller’s 2016 Final Report, 2017 ECOWAS Interim Report, financial situation of the Community, end of tenure of Statutory Appointees, report of the Ad-Hoc Ministerial Committee on Institutional Reform, draft agenda of the 51^st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, and the report of the 21^st AFC meeting.

With respect to the 21^st AFC meeting, it will mainly feature presentations.

In this regard, delegates will consider, inter alia, the status of tasks assigned to Community Institutions, new ECOWAS Staff Regulations and the financial situation of the regional organisation.

They wiIl equally discuss the ECOWAS organogram, new policy on issuance of ECOWAS Laissez-Passer, as well as Standard Operating Procedures for death and disability compensation to soldiers on peacekeeping duties.

Peacekeeping issues will be the focus of the meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC), holding on 31 May 2017.

During the one-day meeting, the MSC, which comprises ECOWAS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, will review the political and security situation in West Africa.