The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS is convening a bilateral meeting with the Competent National Authority (CNA) and other stakeholders in the Republic of Sierra Leone on the status of enforcement of the Court’s judgments. The meeting scheduled to hold from 9 – 13 February 2026, forms part of activities commemorating the 50^th Anniversary of ECOWAS.  

The bilateral engagement is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Court and national authorities by establishing a framework for collaboration, exchange of best practice and addressing challenges affecting the effective enforcement of the Court’s judgments.

The meeting provides a platform for comprehensive dialogue between the Court and the CNAs, with a view to improving compliance with ECOWAS Court judgments, ensuring uniform enforcement procedures across jurisdictions, offering capacity building for effective enforcement, identifying and addressing challenges affecting enforcement, and establishment of a collaborative network of CNAs and the Court.

Discussions will focus on developing actionable strategies to enhance enforcement rates, foster a shared understanding of existing constraints, and promote sustainable cooperation among national authorities and the Court.

The programme includes a special forum on the status of enforcement of judgments of the Court, an overview of the Court’s enforcement mechanism, the enforcement landscape from government perspective, a bilateral meeting with civil society organisations as well as deliberations on next steps and future engagements. Presentations, discussions and stakeholder engagement sessions are geared towards promoting inclusive participation and constructive dialogue.

The week-long programme will begin with courtesy visits to top government officials including the Minister of Planning and Development, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, and Speaker of Parliament. Others are the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) and President of the Bar Association.  

The delegation from the Court led by the Hon President Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves includes the Vice President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, some directors and staff members.

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS was created pursuant to Article 6 and 15 of the Revised Treaty. The Protocol relating to the Court was adopted in 1991, but the pioneer Judges were appointed in 2001. Basically, the Court has four distinct mandates: as a Community Court with the primary responsibility of interpreting and applying the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and other Community Texts; as an Administrative Tribunal for ECOWAS public officials; as an Arbitration Tribunal; and as a Human Rights Court.