GenderViolence and Human Trafficking: ECOWAS Strengthen Action at the 17th Annual Review Meeting.
By Raymond Enoch.
In a united stand against human trafficking and related crimes, Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation during the 17th Annual Review Meeting (ARM) of the Regional Network of National Focal Institutions Against Trafficking in Persons Plus (RNNI-TIP+), held from September 1–5, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Organized by the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), the high-level summit brought together representatives of Member States, development partners, and civil society organizations. The gathering served as a platform to review progress made in 2024, strategize on the way forward, and deepen regional responses to emerging threats linked to trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and violence against children (VAC).
According to the Commission, the Annual Synthesis Report played a central role at the meeting, serving as a critical stocktaking and advocacy tool. “This year’s review took on added urgency and depth,” said an ECOWAS spokesperson. “We have not only looked at trafficking in persons, but also elevated the conversation to include the intersecting issues of SGBV and violence against children—areas that demand just as much regional focus and action.”
The initiative is supported under the Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa – Phase II (FMM West Africa II) project, jointly implemented with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The project aims to strengthen the governance of migration and mobility across the region.
Participants unanimously agreed on the need to enhance institutional coordination, improve victim-centered responses, and increase targeted technical support through ECOWAS and its partners.
As the region continues to face complex transnational threats, the Lagos meeting underscored one central theme: collective action remains the strongest weapon in the fight against trafficking and related crimes.
