By Mark Longyen

Members of the ECOWAS Parliament have appealed to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger (Sahel States) to rescind their decision to quit the subregional bloc and return to its fold.

Sen. Edwin Snowe, Chairman of the parliament’s Joint Committee Delocalised Meeting, made the plea at the closing ceremony of its five-day meeting in Banjul on Friday.

The delocalised meeting of the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security, Human Rights, Trade, Social Affairs, Gender, and Persons with Disabilities, was held to consider the far-reaching impact of the countries’ withdrawal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three countries officially quit ECOWAS earlier this year, claiming that ECOWAS had deviated from its founding principles by becoming the West’s stooge.

Snowe, a Liberian parliamentarian, noted that the withdrawal of the three countries was a challenging experience for ECOWAS, which had been in existence for 50 years focusing on economic integration and development.

He emphasised the need to mend ties and foster unity, considering the importance of regional integration and cooperation, and the withdrawal’s likely consequences on the socio-economic well-being of their citizens.

“We want you back. Let us come together as a team. No matter what, we agree to disagree,” the parliamentarian said.

While underscoring the importance of parliamentary teamwork, he urged staff members to brace for the challenges.

“The work we do here, there’s no good parliamentarian without all of good staff. You can be well-educated, and have all of the education.

“However, if you don’t have good staff, you don’t have a good team, you will not be a good parliamentarian,” he said.

Also speaking, Veronica Sesay, Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs, Gender, Women in Parliament, and Oppressions with Disability, appealed to the withdrawn countries to ignore their grievances and return.

She highlighted the importance of unity and cooperation among member states, citing the example of ECOWAS’s intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil wars.

“We need you people, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali back. We are a bloc, we should be working together. We’ve been helping each other, like us, who faced the war in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“We appreciated the cause that was done by ECOWAS in their intervention to help us quell down the situation in Sierra Leone,” she said.

Sesay also appealed to the withdrawn countries to consider the impact of their decision against the backdrop of conflict’s impact on vulnerable groups like women and children.

“When there is a problem, who faces the bulk of it? It’s women and children,” she noted.

NAN reports that the parliamentarians also emphasised the need to maintain dialogue with the exited countries and advocated for an inclusive approach involving the ECOWAS Parliament and Commission.

They also recommended involving women parliamentarians in mediation efforts, as well as mobilising other regional institutions, such as the African Union and river basin authorities.

The lawmakers noted that, in spite of the January withdrawal deadline, a six-month grace period was in effect to continue with the dialogue toward returning the deserted countries to the ECOWAS fold.

The parliamentarians also reaffirmed their central role in preserving ECOWAS’ unity and stability, adding that they were committed to ensuring subregional peace, cohesion, security, and free movement of people and goods. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Top United Nations (UN) officials, in New York, called for urgent action to rescue the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and revive international cooperation.

Speaking at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) annual forum on financing for development, they warned that a staggering 4 trillion dollars annual financing gap threatened global development goals.

The officials: UN Secretary-General, António Guterres; President, General Assembly Philémon Yang; and President, ECOSOC, Bob Rae, stressed the need for more resources and a global financial overhaul.

Without an effective response, they stressed, the world risked falling even further behind on ending poverty, fighting climate change, and building new sustainable economies.

Last week, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) held Spring Meetings where global growth, trade tensions and the rising debt burden in developing countries were front and centre.

“This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time,” Guterres told delegates, warning that global cooperation itself was under threat.

He pointed to rising trade tensions as a major risk, noting that fair trade was a clear example of the benefits of international collaboration.

Guterres said the surge in trade barriers posed a “clear and present danger” to the global economy.

He said this was evident in recent downgrades to global growth forecasts by the IMF, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and UN economists.

“In a trade war, everybody loses – especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest,” he said.

Guterres highlighted how many donors were pulling back from aid commitments while soaring borrowing costs drained public investments, putting the SDGs “dramatically off track.”

“With just five years to reach the SDGs, we need to shift into overdrive,” he stressed.

UN chief urged countries to deliver bold outcomes at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, in Seville, Spain.

“Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away,” Guterres stated.

ECOSOC President Bob Rae echoed these concerns, emphasising that over three billion people live in countries where governments spend more on interest payments than on health or education.

“We desperately need a more affordable debt architecture – it’s that simple,” he said.

Rae called for urgent reforms that would allow countries a fair chance to repay what they owed while investing in their futures.

He also sounded the alarm over rising trade barriers citing recent moves by major economies, like the United States, to impose new tariffs.

“Trade is not a four-letter word, it is a positive way for countries to exchange goods and services and emerge from poverty,” Rae said.

He urged countries not to see trade as a zero-sum game, where there are only winners and losers.

Rae admonished them to embrace fair, open trading systems as a path to shared prosperity.

General Assembly President Philémon Yang underscored the consequences of rising debts and shrinking fiscal space.

According to him, in more than 50 developing countries, governments now spend over 10 per cent of their revenues on debt servicing.

The UN economist said that in 17 of them, debt servicing gulps over 20 per cent, which is a clear warning sign of default.

“Our inability to reform the international financial architecture is severely restricting capital access,” Yang warned.

He stressed that closing the financing gap now estimated at over 4 trillion dollars annually was critical to achieving the SDGs.

“Time is of the essence. Let us use this ECOSOC Forum to bridge divides, build trust, and lay the foundation for success,” he said.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are all interconnected, for instance progress on SDG 2 to end hunger is closely tied to advances in health and education.

As negotiations continue towards an agreed outcome in Seville, Secretary-General Guterres highlighted three priority areas.

They include tackling unsustainable debt, strengthening multilateral development banks and unlocking new streams of sustainable finance.

He called for mobilising more domestic resources, innovative financing solutions, better controls on illicit financial flows and stronger partnerships with the private sector.

ECOSOC President Rae added that the conversation must move beyond declarations to concrete, measurable action.

“We need innovation, creativity and partnerships that deliver lasting and transformative impact,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will hold from June 30 to July 3 in Seville, Spain.

It represents a critical opportunity to rebuild the global financial system to unleash the investments urgently needed to achieve the SDGs. (NAN)(www.nanenws.ng)

Edited by Mark Longyen