Cooperating for peace in West Africa

the long version

Contains texts of legal instruments for peace and security of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The previous two decades witnessed a growing determination in the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to consolidate the institutional capacity of the organization to prevent violence and manage crises. From the signing of a Non-Aggression Pact in 1978 to the establishment of a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security in 1999, ECOWAS members have endowed their organization with a legal framework for conflict management. This collection of ECOWAS legal instruments for peace and security aims at making ECOWAS' endeavours better known, and supported, by the rest of the international community. This compendium outlines what is being done in terms of institutional peacebuilding in the Western part of the African continent, and is meant as a tool for academics, researchers, students, diplomats, and military and civilian experts in preventive diplomacy.