The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has initiated the 2024 Country Resilience and Human Security Assessment in Ghana as of June 10, 2024. This effort is part of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Project, supported by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and GIZ. The initiative aims to enhance human security and resilience in the West African sub-region.
The assessment in Ghana seeks to evaluate social and institutional resilience factors related to human security challenges. It will inform analytical products and guide decision-making, planning, and response efforts by the ECOWAS Commission, the National Centre for the Coordination of the Response Mechanism (NCCRM), the government, and key stakeholders in Ghana. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for NCCRM to create a research database to address human security issues effectively.
At a technical scoping workshop in Accra, Mr. Tunji Olonode, representing the Acting Director of the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate, highlighted that despite Ghana’s significant political and socio-economic progress, challenges such as banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, violent extremism, farmer-herder conflicts, and forced migration persist. He emphasized that these challenges exacerbate humanitarian crises in regions like Lake Chad Basin and Sahel while posing security risks to coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea. "These necessitate bottom-up, context-specific, inclusive, and human-centric approaches," he stated.
Colonel William Ohemeng, Director of NCCRM Ghana noted that there are evident threats and insecurity in Ghana indicating a need for constant assessment and sustainable measures to mitigate human security risks.
Anna Lixi from the European Union Delegation in Ghana emphasized digitalization's importance for peacebuilding and sustainable development: "Leveraging digital technologies can enhance early warning systems."
A representative from the German Embassy in Ghana also welcomed this initiative by ECOWAS Commission and NCCRM emphasizing a holistic approach to address interconnected challenges while promoting peace gender equality sustainable development.
Ghana is now the third ECOWAS Member State undergoing this updated CRHSA following Nigeria from May 27 to June 4 2024 Cote d’Ivoire from June 2-9 2024
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