The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice will hold an International Conference from May 9 to May 12, in Praia, Cape Verde, on strengthening regional integration with the implementation of an effective justice system.

The four-day conference will be jointly hosted by the government of Cape Verde, with the theme “ECOWAS Integration model: the legal implications of Regionalism, Sovereignty and Supranationalism.”

A panel of discussants consisting of jurists and scholars from ECOWAS member states and institutions, and international organisations, will interrogate aspects of the ECOWAS integration model under the seven sub-themes of the conference.

Attaining the ECOWAS Vision 2020, intergovernmentalism, approach to gaining regional integration, merits and challenges, goals and pillars of ECOWAS regional integration objectives, will also be discussed.

President of the ECOWAS Court, Justice Edward Asante, said the conference will provide a platform to critically examine the legal environment for the implementation of the regional integration agenda.

Asante said that the focus of discussion will include the impact of regionalism, supranationalism and national sovereignties of the Member States on the integration process.

The Media Directorate of the ECOWAS Court, in a statement on Sunday, stated that the discussants will also propose ways to strengthen the relationship between the ECOWAS Court and National Courts.

This, the court noted, will help for the attainment of an ECOWAS community legal order, harmonisation of the legal and judicial systems of member states, and enforcement of the ECOWAS Court’s judgments by the national courts.

President Jose Maria Neves of the Republic of Cape Verde will deliver a statement at the opening ceremony on May 9, while Justice Asante will deliver the welcome address.

(NAN)