NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA (MB)- The Regional Integration of African States has been a major concern for the human right defenders across the ECOWAS region. This has led to a recent workshop by member from the Gambia and the neighbouring Senegal to discuss on the perception, recommendations challenges and the way forward on Regional integration as well as respecting the rights of people.
The discussion has drown participants from different media institutions, youth organisations, ministry of trade, imigration among other institutions in The Gambia, to share ideas on how regional integration can get fresh impetus on the African states. The meeting was recently held at the Baobab Holiday Resort in Kerr Serign.
According to Mr. Djibril Badiane President leading the delegation in the Gambian city Banjul, said at the official opening that African people are all the same but the synegy to work together is lacking.
He hold the believe that the development of African states can only be successful when the states are integrated as puts it, "it is the best mechanism to put in place another to succeed."
The African Centre for Human and Peoples Right since its inception in 1989 has focus on the human right defence, gender equality, integration of African states using the human right process among others but as highlighted at the educative discussion by well inform participant, the right to free movement is been violated by security officers at border point who take ownership of peoples properties, Badiane said.
In addition, In as much challenges facing the integration process as stated at the lengthy exchanges of views the six month project tends to consider the points highlighted by participants such as the strategy to popularise ECOWAS passports, networking empowering youth organisations, strengthening the activities at the grassroots level among others.
The free movement of people and the fight against bad government as protocols ratified by ECOWAS should be honoured in other for the integration drive to succeed, he remarked, whiling stating that there is the need for governments to fully sensitized the security officer was also stated as a move to the right direction.
The confiscation of peoples item at the border point, has also worried Mr. Badiane pointing out that these has led challenges on the trader and make free movement difficult for people around the sub-region.
Human right touches all human beings, therefore the need to collaborate with the implimenting partners is a step to the right direction in the moving the agenda forward, he strongly emphasized at the forum.
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