ECOWAS Advocacy on Migration: Free Movement is Key to Free Trade – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

General News of Thursday, August 1, 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2019-08-01

Deputy Foreign Minister and Regional Integration Minister Charles Owiredu said that the importance of free movement of citizens between ECOWAS states can not be underestimated in the realization of free exchange between the Member States.

Mr. Owiredu made the statement on behalf of Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey during the plenary session held Thursday at City Hall as part of the "Advocacy and Outreach Campaign for freedom of movement and migration ".

In his speech, the deputy minister mentioned the limitation of the movement of people and economic activities as well as poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

He said it was despite policies such as the "ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons" adopted by the community to boost trade and other economic activities in the region.

Insufficient knowledge of the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the Protocol, irregular migration, crimes such as trafficking in human beings, high rates of extortion and harbadment were some of the factors cited by the Minister. as detrimental to the achievement of the objectives of the protocol.

He stressed, however, the role of the government in implementing the protocol on free movement. Among other things, he said, the National Identification Authority since 2018 has issued about 560,000 ECOWAS cards whose registration is still ongoing. The operational use of maps is expected to begin in March 2020.

He further emphasized the Government's determination to facilitate the movement of people and goods by removing several security checkpoints in the country.