ECOWAS Steps Up Global Engagement, Sierra Leone Takes Charge as UN Ambassadors Shape West Africa’s Future.
By Raymond Enoch
In a powerful display of regional solidarity and skills of international diplomacy, the ECOWAS Group of Ambassadors to the United Nations convened for its monthly meeting on June 26, 2025, at the ECOWAS Permanent Observer Mission in New York. The high-level gathering marked a renewed commitment to peace, security, democracy, and sustainable development in West Africa — and a strategic pivot to amplify the region’s voice within the global multilateral system.
The session began with a symbolic yet significant moment as Sierra Leone assumed the chairmanship of the ECOWAS Group, succeeding Nigeria. Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the UN, formally took over the reins, expressing deep gratitude for the collective support of member states and pledging a tenure marked by “collaborative vigor and forward-looking engagement.”
Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai, ECOWAS Permanent Observer to the UN, set the tone in her opening remarks, welcoming the group and reiterating ECOWAS’ dedication to regional integration and global cooperation.
The agenda was robust and timely, featuring a review of the latest developments across the ECOWAS region, with particular emphasis on outcomes from the 67th Ordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. With pressing security challenges, democratic transitions, and climate-related vulnerabilities affecting multiple member states, the group underscored its resolve to harness collective diplomatic strength and align regional priorities with the UN’s broader peacebuilding architecture.
In a major diplomatic highlight, the ECOWAS Mission also facilitated a consultative session later that same day, partnering with the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO), specifically its West Africa Division (WAD). The session, chaired by Ms. Martha Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, brought together Permanent Representatives from across West Africa to deliberate on UN Security Council Resolution 2719, the evolving UN80 Reforms, and the shifting security landscape in the Sahel and broader West Africa region.
Ms. Pobee reaffirmed the UN’s unwavering commitment to West Africa, emphasizing the need for sustained global engagement in support of democratic resilience, conflict prevention, and institutional reform. She highlighted how the UN80 Reforms are being designed to empower the UN system to respond more effectively to modern challenges — particularly in regions like West Africa where global partnerships are crucial.
Ambassador Jawara-Njai, in her intervention, not only reiterated ECOWAS’ appreciation for multilateral cooperation but also provided critical updates on the ECOWAS @50 commemorations — a milestone reflecting the organization’s five-decade legacy in promoting integration and regional stability. She detailed the roadmap for operationalizing Resolution 2719, which seeks to strengthen the UN’s collaboration with African regional organizations in peace operations and crisis response.
The day’s engagements concluded with a strong consensus on deepening diplomatic coordination between ECOWAS and the United Nations, especially in shaping responses to transnational threats and supporting democratic transitions across West Africa.
As Sierra Leone takes on the mantle of leadership within the ECOWAS UN Group, the region sends a clear message to the world: West Africa is not only navigating its challenges — it is actively shaping its destiny on the global stage.
