Netherlands on Tuesday said it was ready to partner with ECOWAS on peace, prevention agenda to prevent conflict within ECOWAS member states.
Ms Sigrid Kaag, the Minister of Trade, International Cooperation, Netherlands said this when she led a 10-man delegation to the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.
She said Netherlands wishes to focus on security policy, trade and prevention agenda as well as agriculture to empower youths and women.
“We are here to see how we can partner with you in which areas that are part of the benefit in terms of peace dividend and of course also the prevention agenda.
“As you know in the spirit of agenda 2030 of the SDG’s, we have really focused on foreign policy, security policy and also trade and development policy around the prevention agenda.
“I believe prevention is the only key because we know that system has failed, there is conflict, rising tension and member states are still too slow to act.
“We all know that when conflict erupts and crisis happens we are always too late, the cost of conflict is tremendous to the cost of prevention; prevention is investing in human capital, employment,’’ she said.
Kaag commended ECOWAS on its prevention with emphasis on anticipating risk or dictating early indicators of famine.
She, however, raised concern over repeated indication of tension, proliferation of arms, illicit drugs, human trafficking within the region which had led to marginalisation and migration.
She said that they would create opportunities through scaling of investments in agriculture and trade.
Mrs Finda Koroma, Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, said that the commission was ready to collaborate with Netherlands in those areas.
She said that ECOWAS was able to stabilised Gambia and Guinea Bissau, stating that there were still serious threats to peace and security in some member states.
Koroma, however, said that Civil Society organisation, traditional rulers and clerics also have roles to play in addressing peace and security.
“We have received the Minister of Trade, International Cooperation Netherlands and we have discussed quite a number of issues bordering on security, trade, agriculture and migration.
“We want to assure you that ECOWAS states are taking these issues seriously, so the issue of promoting women and youths have prevailed in most of the topics we have discussed here.
“You have met all our aspirations, going forward, I hope we will agree on certain thing but on our side what I think we will do is to work together and collaborate.“
