Supplementary Protocol of ECOWAS on Democracy and Good Governance (A/SP1/12/01)
Supplementary to the Protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention management,
resolution, peacekeeping and security Executive Secretary Dakar , December 2001 (Excerpts)
PREAMBLE
We, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
MINDFUL of the ECOWAS Treaty signed in Cotonou on 24th July 1993 , notably its Article 58;
MINDFUL of the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management,
Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security signed in Lomé on 10 th December 1999;
CONSIDERING all the issues enumerated or reaffirmed in the preamble to the Protocol of 10th
December 1999 referred to above;
MINDFUL of the principles set out in the OAU Solemn Declaration on Security, Stability,
Development and Cooperation in Africa adopted in Abuja on 8 and 9 May 2000 and the Decision
AHG. DEC 142 (XXV) on the framework for OAU'S reaction to unconstitutional change of
government, adopted by Algiers in July 1999;
CONSIDERING the Harare Declaration adopted by the Commonwealth on 20 December 1991
and the Bamako Declaration adopted by the member countries of the Francophonie on 3
November 2000;
CONSIDERING also the Cotonou Declaration adopted on 6 December 2000 at the end of the 4th
international conference on new or restored democracies;
RECALLING that women's rights have been recognized 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:
Chapter 1
PRINCIPLES
The provisions of this chapter complement and clarify the principles set out in Article 2 of the
Protocol of 10th December 1999 .
SECTION 1: CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERGENCE PRINCIPLES