Support Member States in coronavirus fight – IHRDA Programme’s Director to AU

Mr Edmund Amarkwei Foley, the Director of Programmes of Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) in the Gambia, has called on the African Union (AU) to take steps to offer direct financial support to its member States as the continent battles the spread of the novel COVID-19.

Mr Foley, made the call when he delivered via Zoom, the second lecture of the 14-week long "Law and Ethics Web Series", on the theme, "Regional Governance in Africa in the Wake of Covid-19 and Prospects for the Future".

The online seminar is organized jointly by the African Centre on Law and Ethics (ACLE) and the African Centre of International Criminal Justice (ACICJ), both based at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Faculty of Law.

He said "so far we have seen every wonderful intervention on paper in the continental strategy, but we need to back it up with money.

If the AU reforms are talking about sustainability in financing and funding, then it is important that we save every little penny that we are making from not moving around into that fund (the solidarity fund). I think the example of ECOWAS of direct provision of services and support to countries should be emulated by the African Union and other Regional Economic Communities"

The Law Lecturer and Human Rights Advocate in his presentation called on other Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the continent to follow the example of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)in the provision of support for their member states in the fight to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa.

"We haven't heard much from the other Regional Economic Communities such as SADC (Southern African Development Community), COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa), and of course the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) in North Africa. We would want to see that they emulate the example of ECOWAS" Mr. Foley posited.

The on-going online Law and Ethics Web Series began on Wednesday the 6th of May this year.

Various speakers have been lined up for the exercise by the organizers. The series is being coordinated by Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, a Lecturer and Head of Law Center at the GIMPA Faculty of Law.