The ECOWAS Court of Justice has urged member states to fully cooperate with the court to ensure effective enforcement of its judgments, particularly on human rights matters.
President of the Court, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during an event to commemorate International Human Rights Day 2025, themed “Human Rights, Everyday Essentials.”
Gonçalves called on member states to renew their commitment to the ECOWAS legal framework, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other international human rights instruments they have ratified.
He also emphasised the need for increased investment in legal and human rights education, especially for young people, to empower them to understand, claim, and defend their rights.
“The Court is concerned that ECOWAS Member States are yet to implement most of its judgments,” he said.
“Without effective implementation of the Court’s decisions, the promise of human rights protection offered by the 2005 Supplementary Protocol becomes a mirage. Member states must fully implement the Court’s judgments to ensure meaningful improvements in the lives of everyone in the Community.”
Gonçalves reaffirmed the Court’s readiness to continue working with regional bodies, international organisations, civil society groups, and human rights advocates to strengthen rights protection across West Africa.
He highlighted the Court’s extensive jurisprudence covering rights to life, freedom from torture, expression, association, assembly, education, work, and a healthy environment.
However, he said the impact of these rulings has been limited by poor enforcement at the national level.
“Member states must respond to these challenges and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that everyone in our Community enjoys their rights freely and without discrimination,” he said.
He stressed that national courts, human rights commissions, and ombudsman institutions must work closely with the ECOWAS Court to build a unified regional protection system.
He also called for the protection of civil society, the media, and human rights defenders, describing them as critical to exposing abuses, supporting victims, and bringing cases before the Court.
Victims of human rights violations, he added, must have unhindered access to justice, free from financial, procedural, language, or geographical barriers.
The Court’s Deputy Chief Registrar, Gaye Sowe, presented general statistics showing the Court’s impact and challenges. He disclosed that out of 419 judgments delivered so far, 55 per cent were dismissed for various reasons.
Keynote speaker, Prof. Mohammed Ladan, former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, called on governments to prioritise socio-economic rights as a means of preventing conflict and promoting peace.
He urged ECOWAS member states to strengthen and respect the Court’s authority.
“Ninety per cent of the ECOWAS Court’s decisions are human rights-related. The Court has evolved into a regional human rights tribunal, influencing economic integration and challenging state sovereignty,” Ladan said.
He noted that the Court has made significant contributions to human rights jurisprudence through landmark judgments, expanding citizens’ access to justice, empowering civil society, influencing national legal reforms, and promoting judicial activism.