ECOWAS President H. E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray Attends 80th UNGA,Champions West Africa’s Agenda.
By Raymond Enoch
In a powerful show of regional diplomacy, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, led the ECOWAS delegation to the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), held from September 23 to 30, 2025, in New York City.
The landmark session, themed “Better Together: 80 Years and Beyond in the Service of Peace, Development and Human Rights,” marked a pivotal moment for multilateral cooperation. Against this backdrop, ECOWAS used the global platform to reinforce its role as a stabilizing force and development advocate in West Africa.
Dr. Touray participated in the General Debate, high-level side events, and bilateral meetings with global leaders and institutional partners. Central to ECOWAS’s agenda were pressing regional priorities: peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, development financing, and the pursuit of inclusive governance.
“This Assembly represents not just 80 years of the UN, but a recommitment to the values of solidarity and multilateralism,” Dr. Touray remarked during his engagement. “For ECOWAS, it is an opportunity to elevate the voices and aspirations of West Africans on the global stage.”
Under Dr. Touray’s leadership, ECOWAS emphasized the urgent need for greater international support for regional peace initiatives, especially in the Sahel and coastal West Africa, where threats of terrorism and political instability persist. The delegation also highlighted West Africa’s vulnerability to climate shocks, calling for a just and equitable climate financing framework that prioritizes adaptation and resilience.
Beyond security and environmental concerns, ECOWAS advocated for increased investment in youth, innovation, and inclusive economic growth, recognizing them as key pillars of long-term stability.
The regional bloc’s active participation at UNGA80 underscored its commitment to regional integration, democratic values, and a rules-based international order. Dr. Touray’s presence served not only to showcase ECOWAS’s diplomatic engagement but also to build strategic alliances for the region’s future.
As the United Nations looks to its next chapter, ECOWAS has made it clear: West Africa is not merely a recipient of international decisions — it is a key actor, determined to shape global outcomes for peace, development, and human dignity.
