To this end, officials of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Communication Directorate is organising a one-Day Workshop on the 24th of November 2016 in Abuja.

The Workshop entitled: Strengthening Media awareness on conflict prevention norms in West Africa is meant among others, to sensitize radio journalists from 15 ECOWAS Member States, on best practices regarding the subject matter, as well as their corporate social responsibility in the reportage and presentation of news and views relating to conflict triggers, conflict situations and peace building efforts.

Broadly, the Workshop aims to:

• Enhance the capacities of journalists to understand and inform the public about ECOWAS policies and activities in regional integration, democracy, peace and security;
• Define strategies to create more awareness of the ECPF and its web portal in Member States;
• Forge an enabling West African information landscape of freedom, transparency, transparency and accountability through adherence to the Media Component of the ECPF; and
• Promote the enforcement and propagation of freedom of information laws, and codes of conduct for media practitioners across the region.

 

Participants will comprise representatives from reputable media outfits across ECOWAS Member States, and international organisations such as British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Radio France International (RFI) and Deutsche Welle. Also attending the workshop is a subject matter consultant. These will be backed by programme officers and focal points from strategic directorates.

The ECPF was adopted in 2008 as a practical guide on conflict prevention to which ECOWAS and its Member States can refer in their cooperation and engagements with partners.

The main aim of the ECPF is to strengthen the human security architecture in West Africa. It also seeks to create space within the ECOWAS system and Member States for cooperative interaction within the region and external partners to push conflict prevention and peace building up in the political agenda of Member States in a manner that will trigger timely and targeted multi-actor and multi-dimensional action to diffuse or eliminate potential and real threats to human security in a predictable manner.

One of the key objectives of the ECPF is to increase understanding of the fundamental basis of conflict prevention, while interrelating conflict prevention activities with development and humanitarian crisis prevention and preparedness.

In this wise, as a strategy to generate more awareness of the ECPF and actualize the objectives of the Media Component of ECPF, the ECOWAS Commission seeks to enhance the capacities of media practitioners in the region to the realities on ground and how to engage with same in the most professional and beneficial manner.