REVISEDTREATY

1 ECONOMICCOMMUNITYOFWESTAFRICANSTATES(ECO WAS)REVISEDTREATYECONOMICCOMMUNITYOFWEST AFRICANSTATES(ECOWAS)REVISEDTREATYECOWAS COMMISSIONABUJA,NIGERIAECOWASREVISEDTREA TYP ublished By ECOWASC ommission,AbujaPrinted(1993)Reprint(2010 )EconomicCommunityofWestAfricanStates(EC OWAS)101 YakubuGowon Crescent,Asokoro, ,Abuja,NIGERIAW ebsites: (Article1)3 CHAPTERHE stablishment, Composition, Aims and Objectivesand Fundamental Principles of the Community(Articles 2-5)4 CHAPTERHII nstitutions of the Community-Establishment,Composition andFunctions(Articles6 -24)8 CHAPTERIVCo-operationin Food and Agriculture(Article 25)16 CHAPTERVCo-operationin Industry, Science and Technology and Energy(Articles26-28)17 CHAPTERVICo-operation in Environment and Natural Resources(Articles29 - 31)21 CHAPTERVIICo-operation in Transport, Communications and Tourism(Articles 32 - 34)22 CHAPTERVHICo-operationin Trade, Customs, Taxation, Statistics, Moneyand Payments(Articles 35 -53)25 CHAPTERIXE stablishmentandCompletionofanEconomicand Monetary Union(Articles 54 - 55)34 CHAPTERXCo-operationinPolitical,Judicial and Legal Affairs,Regional Security and Immigration(Articles 56 - 59)35 ECOWASREVISEDTREATYCHAPTERXICo-operation inHumanResources,Information,SocialandCu lturalAffairs(Articles60-66)

2 37 CHAPTERXIICo-operationinotherAreas(Artic le67)40 CHAPTERXIHLand-lockedand IslandMemberStates(Article68)41 CHAPTERXIVF inancialProvisions(Articles69- 75)41 CHAPTERXVD isputes(Article 76)43 CHAPTERXVIS anctions(Article 77)43 CHAPTERXVHR elationsbetweentheCommunityand the AfricanEconomic Community(Article78)44 CHAPTERXVfflRelationsbetweentheCommunity andotherRegionalEconomic Communities(Article79)44 CHAPTERXIXR elationsbetweentheExecutiveSecretariatan dtheSpecialisedInstitutionsoftheCommunit y(Articles80 - 82)45 CHAPTERXXR elationsbetweentheCommunityand ThirdCountriesandInternationalOrganisati ons(Article83)46 CHAPTERXXIR elationsbetween Member States, Non -Member States,RegionalOrganisationsandInternati onalOrganisations(Articles 84 - 85)46 CHAPTERXXnGeneral and FinalProvisions(Articles86 - 93)47 IVECOWASREVISEDTREATYREVISEDTREATYOFTHEE CONOMICCOMMUNITYOFWESTAFRICANSTATES(ECOW AS)PREAMBLEWe,theHeadsofStateandGovernme ntoftheMemberStatesoftheEconomicCommunit yofWestAfricanStates (ECOWAS);ThePresidentof the Republic of BENIN;ThePresidentofBURKINAFASO;ThePrime MinisteroftheRepublicofCAPEVERDE;ThePres identoftheRepublicofCOTEDTVOIRE;ThePresi dentof theRepublicof TheGAMBIA;ThePresidentoftheRepublicofGHA NA;ThePresidentof the Republic of GUINEA;The President of the Republic of GUINEA BISSAU;The President of the Interim Government of National Unity of the Republic of LIBERIA;ThePresidentof the Republic of MALI;The President of the Islamic Republic of MAURITANIA;ThePresidentof the Republic of NIGER;The President of the Federal Republic of NIGERIA;The President of the Republic of SENEGAL;The Head of State and Chairman of the National Provisional Ruling Council of theRepublic of SIERRA LEONE; 28 May,1975andconsideringitsachievements.

3 CONSCIOUS oftheover-ridingneedtoencourage,fosteran dacceleratetheeconomicandsocialdevelopme ntofourStatesinordertoimprovethelivingst andardsof ourpeoples;CONVINCED thatthepromotionofharmoniouseconomicdeve lopmentof ourStatescallsforeffectiveeconomicco-ope rationandintegrationlargelythroughadeter minedandconcertedpolicy ofself-reliance;BEARING IN MIND the AfricanCharteron Human andPeople'sRights and theDeclarationofPoliticalPrinciplesof theEconomicCommunityofWestAfricanStatesa doptedinAbujabytheFourteenthOrdinarySess ionoftheAuthorityofHeadsofStateandGovern menton 6 July,1991;ECOWASREVISEDTREATYCONVINCED that the integrationof the Member States into a viable regional Communitymay demand the partial and gradual pooling of nationalsovereigntiesto theCommunitywithin thecontextofa collectivepolitical will;ACCEPTINGthe need toestablishCommunityInstitutionsvestedwi threlevantandadequatepowers;NOTING that the presentbilateralandmultilateralforms of economicco-operationwithin the region open upperspectivesfor more extensive co-operation;ACCEPTING the need to face together the political, economic andsocio-culturalchallengesof thepresentandthefuture,andtopooltogether theresourcesof ourpeopleswhilerespectingourdiversitiesf orthemostrapidandoptimumexpansionofthere gion'sproductive capacity;BEARINGINMINDALSOtheLagosPlanof ActionandtheFinalActofLagosofApril1980st ipulatingtheestablishment,by the year2000,of anAfricanEconomicCommunitybasedonexistin gandfutureregionaleconomiccommunities;MI NDFULOFtheTreatyestablishingtheAfricanEc onomicCommunitysignedinAbujaon 3 June,1991;AFFIRMING thatourfinalgoalistheacceleratedandsusta inedeconomicdevelopmentofMemberStates,cu lminatingintheeconomicunionofWestAfrica; ,1990relatingtotheestablishmentofaCommit teeofEminentPersonstosubmitproposalsfort hereviewofthe treaty .

4 AWARE thatthereviewoftheTreatyarises,interalia ,fromtheneedfortheCommunitytoadapttothec hangesontheinternationalsceneinordertode rivegreaterbenefitsfromthose changes;CONSIDERINGALSO theneedtomodifytheCommunity'sstrategiesi nordertoacceleratetheeconomicintegration processintheregion;ACCEPTING theneedtosharethebenefitsofeconomicco-op erationandintegrationamong MemberStates in a just andequitablemanner;HAVEDECIDED torevisetheTreatyof28 May,1975establishingtheEconomicCommunity ofWestAfricanStates(ECOWAS)andhaveaccord inglyagreedasfollows:ECOWASREVISEDTREATY CHAPTER1 DEFINITIONSARTICLE1 For the purpose of this treaty ,"ArbitrationTribunal"means theArbitrationTribunal of theCommunityestablishedunderArticle16oft hisTreaty;"Authority"meanstheAuthorityof HeadsofStateandGovernmentof theCommunityestablishedby Article 7 of this treaty ;"Chairmanof theAuthority"meansthecurrentChairmanof theAuthorityof Heads ofState andGovernmentof theCommunity,electedin accordancewith ;"Council" means the Council of Ministers of the Community established under Article10ofthisTreaty;"Commission"meanst heSpecialisedTechnicalCommissionestablis hedunderArticle22ofthisTreaty;"Community "meanstheEconomicCommunityofWestAfricanS tatesreferredtounderArticle2ofthisTreaty ;"Communitycitizenorcitizens"meansanynat ional(s)ofMemberStateswhosatisfythecondi tionsstipulatedintheProtocoldefiningComm unitycitizenship;"Court of Justice" means the Court of Justiceof theCommunityestablishedunderArticle15oft hisTreaty;"ImportDuties"meanscustomsduti esandtaxesofequivalenteffect,leviedongoo dsby virtue of their importation;"ExecutiveSecretary"meansthe ExecutiveSecretaryappointedinaccordancew iththeprovisionsof Article18of thisTreaty;"Economic and Social Council" means the Economic and Social Council establishedunderArticle14ofthisTreaty;"E xecutive Secretariat" means the Executive Secretariat established under Article17ofthisTreaty.

5 ECOWASREVISEDTREATY"Export Duties" means all customs duties and taxes of equivalent effect levied ongoods by virtue of their exportation;"Fund"meansthe FundforCo-operation,CompensationandDevel opmentestablishedunder Article21of this treaty ;"MemberState"of"MemberStates"mean s aMemberState orMemberStatesoftheCommunityasdefinedinP aragraph2 ofArticle2 of thisTreaty;"Non-TariffBarriers"meansbarr ierswhichhampertradeandwhicharecausedbyo bstaclesotherthan fiscalobstacles;"Parliament of the Community" means the Parliament established under Article13ofthis treaty ;"Protocol"meansaninstrumentofimpl ementationoftheTreatyhavingthesamelegalf orce as the latter;"Region" (XXVI)of the OAUC ouncilofMinisters;"StatutoryAppointees"i ncludestheExecutiveSecretary,DeputyExecu tiveSecretaries,ManagingDirectoroftheFun d,DeputyManagingDirectoroftheFund,Financ ialControllerand anyotherseniorofficeroftheCommunitydesig natedassuchbytheAuthorityorCouncil;"Thir dCountry"meansanyStateotherthanaMemberSt ate;' treaty " ,COMPOSITION,AIMSANDOBJECTIVESANDFUNDAME NTALPRINCIPLESOFTHECOMMUNITYARTICLE2 ESTABLISHMENTANDCOMPOSITIONTHEHIGHCONTRA CTINGPARTIES,bythisTreaty,herebyre-affir mtheestablishmentoftheEconomicCommunityo fWestAfricanStates(ECOWAS)anddecidethati tshallultimatelybethesoleeconomiccommuni tyintheregionforthepurposeofeconomicinte grationandtherealisationoftheobjectiveso fthe African ,hereinafterreferredto as"theMemberStates,"shall be theStatesthat ratify this aims of the Community are to promoteco-operationandintegration,leadin gtotheestablishmentofaneconomicunioninWe stAfricainordertoraisetheliving standards of its peoples, and to maintain andenhanceeconomicstability,fosterrelati ons-amongMemberStatesandcontributeto aims set out in theparagraphabove,and inaccordancewith the relevant provisions of this treaty , the Community shall, by stages, ensure.

6 A)the harmonisation and co-ordination of national policies and the promotionof integration programmes, projects and activities, particularly in food,agricultureand natural resources,industry,transport and communications,energy, trade, money and finance, taxation, economic reform policies,humanresources,education,inform ation,culture,science,technology,service s,health,tourism,legalmatters;b)the harmonisation and co-ordination of policies for the protection of theenvironment;c)the promotionof theestablishmentof joint productionenterprises;d)theestablishment ofa commonmarketthrough;i)the liberalisation of trade by the abolition, amongMemberStates,of customs duties levied on imports and exports, and the abolition,among MemberStates,of non-tariffbarriers in order to establish afree trade area at theCommunitylevel;ii)the adoptionof a commonexternaltariffand a common trade policyvis-a-visthirdcountries;iii)the removal, betweenMemberStates, ofobstaclesto the freemovement of persons, goods, services and capital, and to the rightofresidenceandestablishment;e)thees tablishmentof aneconomicunionthroughtheadoptionofcommo npolicies in the economic,financial,social and cultural sectors, and )thepromotionofjointventuresbyprivatesec torenterprisesandothereconomicoperators, inparticularthroughtheadoptionofa regionalagreementoncross-borderinvestmen ts;g)theadoptionofmeasuresfor theintegrationoftheprivatesectors,partic ularlythe creationofanenablingenvironmenttopromote small andmediumscaleenterprises;h)theestablish mentofanenablinglegalenvironment;i)the harmonisation of national investment codes leading to the adoption ofa singleCommunityinvestmentcode;j)theharmo nisationof standards andmeasures;k)the promotion of balanced development of the region, paying attention tothe special problems of each Member State particularly those of landlockedandsmallislandMemberStates.

7 1)theencouragementandstrengtheningof relations and the promotion of theflowofinformationparticularlyamongrur alpopulations,womenandyouthorganisations andsocio-professionalorganisationssuch asassociationsofthemedia,businessmen andwomen,workers,andtradeunions;m)the adoption of a Community population policy which takes into accountthe need for a balance between demographic factors and socio-economicdevelopment;n)theestablish mentof a fund forco-operation,compensationanddevelopme nt;ando)any other activity that Member States may decide toundertakejointlywith a view to attaining Community HIGH CONTRACTINGPARTIES,in pursuit of the objectives stated in Article 3of thisTreaty,solemnly affirm and declare their adherence to the following principles:a)equalityandinter-dependence ofMemberStates;b)solidarityandcollective self-reliance;c)inter-Stateco-operation, harmonisationof policiesand integrationof programmes;ECOWASREVISEDTREATYd)non-aggr ession between Member States;e)maintenanceof regional peace, stability and security through the promotion andstrengtheningofgoodneighbourliness;f) peaceful settlement of disputes among Member States,activeco-operation betweenneighbouring countries and promotion of a peacefulenvironmentas a prerequisitefor economic development;g)recognition,promotionandpr otectionof humanand peoples' rights in accordancewith the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights;h)accountability, economic and social justice and popularparticipationindevelopment;i)reco gnitionandobservanceof therulesandprinciplesof theCommunity;j)promotionandconsolidation ofademocraticsystemofgovernanceineachMem berStateasenvisagedbytheDeclarationofPol iticalPrinciplesadoptedinAbujaon6 July, 1991.

8 Andk)equitableandjustdistributionoftheco stsandbenefitsofeconomicco-operationand createfavourableconditionsfor theattainmentoftheobjectivesoftheCommuni ty,andparticularlytotakeallnecessarymeas urestoharmonisetheirstrategiesandpolicie s,andtorefrainfromanyactionthatmayhinder theattainmentof the said Member State shall, in accordance with its constitutional procedures, takeallnecessarymeasurestoensuretheenact mentanddisseminationofsuchlegislativeand statutorytextsasmaybenecessaryfortheimpl ementationoftheprovisions of this Member State undertakes to honour its obligations under this treaty and toabide by thedecisionsandregulationsof Institutions of the Community shall be:a)theAuthorityof HeadsofState andGovernment;b) ;c)the Community Parliament;d)theEconomicand Social Council;e)the Community Court of Justice;f)the Executive Secretariat;g)theFundforCo-operation,Com pensationandDevelopment;h)SpecialisedTec hnicalCommissions;andi) theCommunityshallperformtheirfunctionsan d HEADS OFSTATEANDGOVERNMENTESTABLISHMENT,COMPOS ITIONANDFUNCTIONST hereisherebyestablishedtheAuthorityofHea dsofStateandGovernmentofMemberStateswhic hshallbethesupremeinstitutionoftheCommun ityandshall be composedof Heads of State and/orGovernmentof Member the realisation of ofthisArticle,theAuthorityshall:a)determ inethegeneralpolicyandmajorguidelinesoft heCommunity,givedirectives,harmoniseandc o-ordinatetheeconomic,scientific,technic al,cultural and social policies of Member States;b)overseethefunctioningofCommunit yinstitutionsandfollow-upimplementationo f Communityobjectives;ECOWASREVISEDTREATY' c)prepareandadoptits Rules ofProcedure;d)appointiheExecutive Secretary in accordance withtheprovisionsof Article18ofthisTreaty;e)appoint,on therecommendationofCouncil,theExternalAu ditors;t)delegate to the Council, where necessary,the authority to take such decisionsas are stipulated in Article 9 of this treaty .

9 G)refer where it deems necessary anymatterto theCommunityCourtofJusticewhenitconfirms ,thataMemberStateorinstitutionoftheCommu nityhas failedtoiionouranyofitsObligationsor aninstitutionoftheCommunityhasactedbeyon dthelimitsofitsauthorityor hasabusedthepowersconferredon it by theprovisionsof thisTreaty,by adecisionoftheAuthorityor aregulationoftheCouncil;h)request theCommunityCourt of Justice, as and when necessary, to giveadvisoryopinionon any legalquestions;andi)exercise any other powers conferred on it under this Authorityshall meet at least once a year in ordinary extraordinarysession may be convened by the Chairman of the Authority or at the request of