21st Session of ICE: new challenges and prospects for regional integration in West Africa, is at the heart of the Cotonou discussions

Abstract

The Government of Benin in collaboration with the Subregional Office for Africa of Economic Commission for Africa on Wednesday started the 21 Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) for West Africa in Cotonou. With the theme, “Regional integration in West Africa: new challenges and prospects” the session intends to hold discussions on recent trends which could impact the social and economic development of countries in West Africa, so as to identify the main challenges, and make recommendations to accelerate growth and economic transformation in the sub region. The Economic Commission for Africa is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The ICE is a body set up by the United Nations General Assembly. Every year it brings together high-level decision-makers from Member-States with the goal, not only of debating economic and social performance and proposing relevant recommendations, but also of reviewing the activities of the Office and supervising the development and general implementation of its program of work, including the formulation of priority objectives for the sub-region. In West Africa, the ICE meets annually to debate economic and social performance on the basis of working documents prepared by the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-WA). The ICE is hosted every year, at its request, by a Member State of the sub-region.