The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Abuja Office have finalized their 2025 joint workplan, reinforcing their collaboration on refugee protection, statelessness, and human rights in West Africa.
At a coordination meeting on February 7, 2025, in Abuja, both institutions reviewed the success of their 2024 initiatives before adopting the new workplan. The partnership, established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2022, focuses on capacity building, legal advocacy, and judicial cooperation to support displaced and stateless individuals in the ECOWAS region.
Key initiatives in the 2025 workplan include bi-monthly coordination meetings, regional training on statelessness, legal awareness campaigns, humanitarian field assessments, and enhanced judicial support. The plan also includes resource donations, training for legal practitioners, and the development of a roster of lawyers to support legal protections for vulnerable populations.
Dr. Yaouza Ouro-Sama, Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court, and Mr. Hervé Kuate, UNHCR Senior Liaison Adviser, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening legal protections and access to justice for displaced persons. The adoption of the 2025 workplan marks another step forward in their shared mission to safeguard the rights of at-risk communities across West Africa.
