West Africa’s regional court – ECOWAS Court of Justice is participating in a two-day capacity building seminar organised by the Pan African Lawyers’ Union (PALU), aimed at advancing strategies for the implementation of decisions of regional courts.

In his keynote remarks, Mr Apraku Nketiah who is Head of Legal Services and Research at the ECOWAS Court of Justice said, “all regional human rights mechanisms have expressed concern over ensuring that their views, decisions, and judgments are made effective and that remedies are afforded to the victims of human rights violations.”

Mr Nketiah added that prompt and comprehensive enforcement of judgments of the Court is an indication of the adherence to the rule of law and effective justice delivery in the region.

The seminar is to build the capacities of relevant stakeholders to better understand existing challenges in implementing decisions of regional courts, foster stronger collaborative networks, and outline practical strategies for advocating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of human rights decisions on the continent.

Other guests who delivered remarks at the opening ceremony included Ms PraiseGod Millen Joseph, Programme Officer at PALU, Mr Gilford Kimathi from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Mr Chidiebere Nwabueze from the West African Bar Association, and Mrs Rabi A. Anwar from the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.

Barrister Gaye Sowe, Registrar in charge of Appeals and Enforcement of Judgments at the ECOWAS Court and Dr Chris Nyinevi, Executive Assistant to the President of the ECOWAS Court will be making presentations at the Seminar.

The seminar which takes place from 7 – 8 December 2023 is bringing together key stakeholders particularly from the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and civil society organisations including human rights NGOs and bar associations.

The theme for this year’s seminar is Advancing Human Rights Through Effective Implementation of Decisions of Regional Courts – Amplifying Voices of Key Stakeholders.