The President of the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, has called for institutional reforms to strengthen the court’s effectiveness and improve justice delivery across the region.
Gonçalves made the call as the ECOWAS Court marked its 25th anniversary during its 2026 Annual International Conference in Dakar, Senegal.
The conference, which began on Monday, is themed, “ECOWAS Court of Justice at the Crossroads: Justice, Innovation, Human Rights Protection and the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa.”
According to a statement from the court, the anniversary provides an opportunity to assess the institution’s achievements over the past quarter century while developing a framework for responding to emerging challenges.
Gonçalves said the court had evolved into an important regional judicial institution, particularly following reforms that expanded its mandate and jurisdiction to include human rights protection.
He said the changing nature of governance, technological development, human rights concerns, regional mobility and economic transformation required the court to continually adapt its procedures and institutional framework.
“The changing realities of governance, technological advancement, evolving human rights challenges, increased regional mobility, economic transformation and the growing expectations of citizens all require us to continually adapt and innovate,” he said.
The court president disclosed that the institution had begun an institutional transformation process aimed at improving effectiveness, accessibility and responsiveness.
He identified the approval of a Complementary Act on the ECOWAS Court in December 2025 as one of the significant developments in the reform process. According to him, the instrument harmonised the 1991 and 2005 protocols governing the court and strengthened its legal framework.
Gonçalves also pointed to the adoption of the Court’s Arbitration Rules in December 2025, saying the development opened additional opportunities for the peaceful and efficient settlement of disputes within the region.
Another proposed reform is the establishment of an Appeal Division. Gonçalves said consultations were ongoing among ECOWAS stakeholders on the proposal, which he said could strengthen judicial guarantees, improve the administration of justice and enhance public confidence in the court’s procedures and decisions.
However, enforcement of judgments remains a major challenge.
The court president identified the full and timely implementation of its decisions as one of the critical issues facing regional justice. He said the conference would examine practical ways to improve compliance while strengthening human rights protection, good governance and regional integration.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Gen. Birame Diop, represented at the conference by the Director of Legal Affairs, Gaye Sowe, also acknowledged the gap between the authority of the court’s decisions and their actual enforcement.
He said the commission would continue engaging member states to designate competent national authorities responsible for implementing the court’s judgments.
The 2026 conference is bringing together judges, government officials, policymakers, academics, lawyers, civil society organisations, development partners and representatives of international institutions.
Seven thematic sessions are scheduled to examine issues including human rights jurisprudence, judgment enforcement and compliance, artificial intelligence and data protection, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, the proposed appellate chamber, environmental justice, refugee protection and forced displacement.
The conference is expected to produce actionable recommendations and an outcome document outlining strategic priorities for the future of the court and regional integration.
The ECOWAS Court has also adopted a broader five-year strategic framework, “Justice 2030”, which focuses on judicial efficiency, access to justice, legal harmonisation, institutional capacity, transparency and digital transformation.
As the court marks 25 years of operation, its leadership is seeking to translate the anniversary into renewed institutional reforms capable of improving access to justice and strengthening the enforcement of regional judicial decisions across West Africa.
