RECALLING that women's rights have been recognised and guaranteed in all international human rights
instruments, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women;
MINDFUL of the ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and other international
human rights instruments by the majority of the Member States and their solemn commitment to eliminate
all forms of discrimination and harmful practices against women;
CONCERNED about the increasing wave of international terrorism;
CONCERNED also about the increasing incidence of conflicts caused by religious intolerance, political
marginalisation and non-transparent elections;
HAVING OBSERVED that to become really effective, the Protocol of 10 December 1999 needs to be
complemented through the incorporation of provisions concerning issues such as prevention of internal
crises, democracy and good governance, the rule of law, and human rights;
HAVING DECIDED to enhance the ECOWAS Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management,
Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security;
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
DEFINITIONS:
The terms and expressions used in the present Supplementary Protocol have the same meanings as those
used in the Protocol of 10th December 1999. The list of definitions is completed as follows:
"Treaty" means the Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed
in Cotonou on 24 July 1993;
"Protocol" means the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution,
Peacekeeping and Security, signed in Lome on 10th December 1999;
"Supplementary Protocol" means the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance Supplementary to
the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping
and Security;
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