WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/N/21 
26 September 2005 
 
 (05-4237) 
Committee on Trade and Development Original:   English 
  
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS) 
REVISED TREATY 
 
Notification from the Parties to the Agreement
 
  
The following communication, dated 6 July 2005, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Ghana on behalf of the ECOWAS Member States.  It contains a letter to the Director-General, the Revised Treaty in English a nd French and the Protocols annexed to the Treaty 
of ECOWAS. 
_______________ 
 
 1. The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Ghan a to the United Nations, the WTO and other 
International Organizations in Geneva, acting in Ghana's capacit y as Coordinator of the Economic 
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Geneva, conveys this communication on Notification of the Regional Trade Agreement of the Community, to the WT O Secretariat for the 
attention of all WTO Members. 
2. This Notification and the information followi ng, is transmitted in the framework of the 
Decision of the 28 November 1979 relating to Diffe rential and More Favourable Treatment of 
developing countries or the "Enabling Clause". 
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY 
 
3. The Treaty of the Economic community of West  African States (ECOWAS) signed in Lagos 
on 25 May 1975 and revised on 24 July 1993 covers fi fteen (15) states:  BENIN, BURKINA-FASO, 
CAPE VERDE, COTE D'IVOIRE, THE GAMBIA, GHANA, GUINEA, GUINEA-BISSAU, LIBERIA, MALI, NIGER, NIGERIA, SENEGAL, SIERRA LEONE AND TOGO.  The Original and Revised Treaties were ratified by all 15 Memb ers States and came into force in 1975 and 1993 
respectively. 
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ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ARRANGEMENTS UNDER THE AGREEMENT  
4. The aims of the Community are to promote cooperation and integration, leading to the 
establishment of an Economic Union of West Africa,  in order to raise the living standards of its 
people, and to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations among Member States and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.  To that end, the 
ECOWAS Treaty provides for, in its relevant Artic les, the possible conclusion of agreements with 
other international organizations.  In that respect, Member States of the Community are also Parties to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja on 3 June 1991.  
                                                     
 
1 The text of the Revised Treaty is being circulated as document WT/COMTD/54.  The Protocols 
annexed to the Treaty of ECOWAS have been submitted to the Secretariat for consultation (Development 
Division) by interested Members. WT/COMTD/N/21 
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 SCOPE AND SECTORS COVERED BY THE AGREEMENT
 
5. In order to achieve the aims of the Comm unity the ECOWAS Treaty under its relevant 
provisions seeks to ensure achieve ment by stages, the following: 
 (i) the harmonization and coordination of  national policies and the promotion of 
integration programmes, projects and activities,  particularly in agriculture and natural 
resources, industry, transport and communica tions, energy, trade, money and finance, 
taxation, economic reforms, human resour ces, education, information, culture, 
science and technology, services, health, tourism and justice; 
  (ii) the harmonization and coordination of po licies for the protection of the environment; 
 
 (iii) the promotion of the establishm ent of joint production enterprises; 
  (iv) the liberalization of trade by the abolition, among Member States, of customs duties 
levied on imports and exports, and the abo lition, among Member States, of non-tariff 
barriers in order to establish a free trade area at the community level; 
  (v) the adoption of a common external tariff and a common trade policy vis-à-vis  third 
  countries;   (vi) the removal, between Member States, of obstacles to the free movement of persons, 
goods, services and capital, and to the rights of residence and establishment; 
  (vii) the establishment of an economic union through the adoption of common policies in 
the economic, financial, social and cultural sectors, and the creation of a monetary union; 
 
 (viii) the promotion of joint ventures by private sector enterprises and other economic 
operators, in particular through the adoptio n of a regional agreement on across-border 
investments; 
  (ix) the adoption of measures for the integra tion of the private sector, particularly the 
creation of an enabling environment to promote small and medium scale enterprises; 
  (x) the establishment of an enabling legal environment;   (xi) the harmonization of national investment  codes leading to the adoption of a single 
community investment code; 
  (xii) the harmonization of standards and measures;   (xiii) the promotion of balanced development of the region, paying attention to the special 
problems of each Member State, particularly those of landlocked and island Member 
States; 
  (xiv) the promotion and strengthening of re lations and the promotion of the flow of 
information, particularly among rural p opulations, women and youth organizations 
and socio-professional trade unions; 
 
 (xv) the adoption of a Community population policy which takes into account the need for 
a balance between demographic fact ors and socio-economic development;  WT/COMTD/N/21 
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  (xvi) the establishment of a fund for cooperation, compensation and development;  and  
   (xvii) any other activities that Member States may decide to undertake jointly with a view 
to attaining community objectives. 
 
PROVISIONS AFFECTING TRADE IN SERVICES
 
 
6. In relation to Trade in Services, the ECOW AS Treaty under its relevant provisions and 
Protocols enjoins cooperation among Members in the Se rvices Sectors of Finance, Transport, Health, 
Energy and Tourism.  Cooperation in these sect ors entails the coordination and harmonization of 
policies of Member States, and of investment in these services. 
GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT  
 
7. The ECOWAS Treaty under its relevant provisions  defines the institutional framework of the 
Community including: 
 (i) its various organs; 
  (ii) the relationship between and among the organs;   (iii) the relationship between the organs and Member States; 
 
 (iv) the relationship between the Community and other regional integration organizations 
and international bodies; 
  (v) a specific relation between the Community and the African Economic Community;  
and  
  (vi) a mechanism for dispute settlement and sanctions.  
ENCLOSURE OF TREATY AND PROTOCOL
 
8. For the purpose of providing any other relevant information on the Regional Trade 
Agreement, there is enclosed with this co mmunication, the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and the 
Protocols adopted under the Treaty.  
9. The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Ghana to the UN, the WTO and other International 
Organizations in Geneva avails its elf of this opportunity to renew to the WTO the assurances of its 
highest consideration. 
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