Regulation MSC/REG.2/01/08 Relating to the Establishment of the ECOWAS Emergency Response Team (EERT) Mechanism within the ECOWAS Commission

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Date
16 January 2008
Language
English
Type
Legislation
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Economic Community of West African States

Regulation MSC/REG.2/01/08 Relating to the Establishment of the ECOWAS Emergency Response Team (EERT) Mechanism within the ECOWAS Commission

Mediation and Security Council,MINDFUL of Articles 4, 8 and 10 of the Protocol relating to the Mechanism on Conflict Prevention, Management Resolution Peace Keeping and Security of 10th December 1999 as amended establishing the Mediation and Security Council and defining its composition and functions;MINDFUL of Article 58 of the Treaty on Regional Security;RECALLING that the aforesaid Protocol of 10 December 1999 provides mechanisms for attaining collective security and maintaining and consolidating peace and security within the sub­-region;CONSIDERING that ECOWAS by reason of the aforementioned Protocol, has the responsibility of undertaking specific measures in the event of conflicts, in terms of prevention, management, resolution and peace keeping for the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region;AWARE that the region has experienced grave humanitarian consequences caused by conflicts and oftentimes natural disasters, all of which have worked untold hardship on our peoples and have given rise to the death and displacement of our peoples, increased refugee situation, destruction of property, in addition to having a deleterious effect on development, political and economic stability;RECALLING ECOWAS, obligation as provided by the 1999 Protocol, to develop the capacity to efficiently undertake humanitarian actions that would alleviate the sufferings of the populations who are victims of natural and man-made disasters;ALSO RECALLING the establishment of a Humanitarian and Social Affairs Department within the Commission of ECOWAS through which the Commission would initiate and organize humanitarian activities;HAVING NOTED the development in 2006, of an ECOWAS emergency response team (EERT) mechanism by the Commission that is gradually building both regional and national capacity for responding to humanitarian crises within the region;DESIROUS of formalising the creation of an EERT unit, to ensure its full development, and operationalization in order to serve the purposes outlined in the Articles 3 (f), 40 and 41 of the aforestated 1999 Protocol on Conflict Prevention;ON THE RECOMMENDATION of the meeting of the Experts of Political Affairs Peace and Security held in Ouagadougou on 14th - 15th January 2008;ENACTS

Article 1

The establishment of the ECOWAS Emergency Response Team (EERT) mechanism is hereby approved and formalized.

Article 2

The Commission shall ensure the full development and operationalization of an EERT unit within its Humanitarian and Social Affairs Department, which would have the responsibility of initiating and undertaking humanitarian missions within the region, in response to humanitarian crises arising out of man-made or natural disasters.

Article 3

A mission planning, management and deployment cell shall be established within the EERT unit which shall perform crises assessments and also plan, coordinate and manage all humanitarian missions in accordance with the Protocol relating to the mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution Peacekeeping and Security.

Article 4

1.The Commission shall assess the capacity framework of the EERT mechanism in order to determine the financial implications of the project
2.It shall submit the outcome of its assessment to the Council of Ministers for approval, prior to the establishment of the operational structures for the EERT Unit.

Article 5

Member States shall undertake to collaborate with the Commission and put in place the necessary measures to facilitate the implementation of the humanitarian delivery capacity of the ECOWAS Commission.

Article 6

This Regulation shall be published by the President of the Commission in the Official Journal of the Community within thirty (30) days of its signature by the Chairman of the Ministerial Meeting of the Mediation and Security Council. It shall also be published in the National Gazette of each Member State within the same time frame.
Done at Ouagadougou, the 16th day of January 2008H. E Mr. Jibrill Yipene BassoleChairman for the Council
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