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ECOWAS to implement peace and development projects

ECOWAS is to implement projects in all its Member States under its Peace and Development Project (PADEP), a programme designed to promote peace in Member States through the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the civil society.

One of the components include the financing of local initiatives, which is to be financed from a $15 million facility provided by the African Development Bank (ADB), will cover sub-projects in the 10 Member States that were direclty or indirectly affected by the various conflicts in the region.

Already, the project has been launched in Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Liberia while that for Sierra Leone will be launched on Thursday, 12th October 2006 in Freetown.

Under the project, civil society groups in these countries are required to apply for the financing of projects through their national UNDP offices which coordinate and approve projects up to $7,000 dollars. For projects above this ceiling, approval will have to be done by the regional approval committee in Abuja.

Projects eligible to benefit from the programme are expected to be formulated by stakeholders such as local communities, local governments, non-governmental organisations, associations, development institutions and specialised cooperation agencies.

The projects are expected to strenghten social cohesion, develop a culture of peace, promote economic recovery in post-conflict countries, promote socio-economic integration as well as democracy and good governance.

PADEP has two components, capacity building for the Secretariat, some of its departments and the national units, which are the units responsible for ECOWAS affairs in Member States.

The second component involves support to ECOWAS peace and development programme, which includes projects to promote a culture of peace in the region, the establishment of a youth voluntary centre and support to local initiatives.