The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in partnership with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding and the German Development Agency, held the First 2026 Annual Regional Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Regional Steering Group in Dakar, Senegal.
The meeting brought together representatives from member countries, the African Union Commission, civil society groups, and European development partners to improve regional co-operation, data collection, and official reporting.
The main achievement of the meeting was the approval of a simplified questionnaire based on the Continental Results Framework. This tracking tool will standardise how countries collect information and measure progress.
The delegates also agreed on a clear plan for the 2026 regional data collection exercise, which will be used to write the next official ECOWAS regional report. High-level speakers, including Senegal’s Minister of Women, Family and Children, Marie Angélique Mame Selbe Diouf, and ECOWAS Commissioner Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, emphasised that reliable information and strong regional partnership are necessary to handle security challenges like violent extremism and political crises while keeping women at the center of peace building in West Africa.
–ChannelAfrica/ECOWAS–
