The President of the ECOWAS Commission Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas inaugurated an ECOWAS Advisory Board on Small Arms and Light Weapons on 17 September. The Board is chaired by Dr Sola Ogunbanwo, the Nigerian expert who drafted the 2006 ECOWAS Convention on small arms.
At the inaugural meeting, Dr Chambas tasked the Board to use the wealth of their experience to define a strategic vision to overcome the challenges posed by the proliferation of small arms in West Africa. The members of the Board are drawn from within and outside West Africa based on their contributions in the area of small arms and light weapons control and related areas.
Board mandate
- Provide advice to the President of the ECOWAS Commission on small arms and light weapons in line with the Decisions of the Heads of States and Governments
- Develop strategic partnerships with donors, governments, intergovernmental organisations and specialised agencies
- Provide advice on strategic planning and resource mobilisation
- Establish an international network for the ECOWAS small arms programme
- Assist ECOWAS with advocacy
- Provide advice, as appropriate, on relevant resolutions adopted by bodies such as the UN, AU, etc on SALW-related issues in West Africa
- Serve as ECOWAS Goodwill Ambassadors on SALW and related matters
- Meet twice annually (every six months) in order to substantially contribute to SALW issues in West Africa
Members of the Board
1. Dr Sola OGUNBANWO, former member Eminent Persons Group on SALW, who is the chairman
2. Lt Gen Seth OBENG, member ECOWAS Council of the Wise
3. HE Amb Kouadio ADJOUMANI, Côte d’Ivoire’s ambassador to The Hague
4. Dr Shirley GBUJAMA, Sierra Leone’s former minister for social welfare, gender and children’s affairs
5. Dr Christiane AGBOTON-JOHNSON, Deputy Director United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
6. HE Amb Anna-Liise KORHONEN, Finland’s former ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS
7. HE Amb Merete LUNDEMO, Norway’s ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire
8. Michael HASENAU, Federal Foreign Office in Germany
9. Dr Keith KRAUSE, programme director Small Arms Survey
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