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ECOWAS Revised Treaty, 1993

Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Posted By lanbuk.com

Body
ECOWAS
Adopted
24 July 1993, Cotonou, Benin
In force
23 August 1995
Sierra Leone: ratified
10 May 1994

Source for Sierra Leone's status: ECOWAS Commission, Annual Report 2015 (Annexes), table of ratification of the Revised Treaty.

About this treaty

The founding treaty of the Economic Community of West African States as revised in 1993. It sets out the Community's aims, its institutions and the areas in which Member States co-operate, from trade and money to political, judicial and legal affairs.

Article 4(g) lists among the Community's fundamental principles the "recognition, promotion and protection of human and peoples' rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights". Article 15 establishes the Court of Justice of the Community, whose powers are set out in a separate Protocol.

Read the official text

How it is arranged

  1. Chapter I – Definitions (Article 1)
  2. Chapter II – Establishment, Composition, Aims and Objectives and Fundamental Principles of the Community (Articles 2–5)
  3. Chapter III – Institutions of the Community: Establishment, Composition and Functions (Articles 6–24)
  4. Chapter IV – Co-operation in Food and Agriculture (Article 25)
  5. Chapter V – Co-operation in Industry, Science and Technology and Energy (Articles 26–28)
  6. Chapter VI – Co-operation in Environment and Natural Resources (Articles 29–31)
  7. Chapter VII – Co-operation in Transport, Communications and Tourism (Articles 32–34)
  8. Chapter VIII – Co-operation in Trade, Customs, Taxation, Statistics, Money and Payments (Articles 35–53)
  9. Chapter IX – Establishment and Completion of an Economic and Monetary Union (Articles 54–55)
  10. Chapter X – Co-operation in Political, Judicial and Legal Affairs, Regional Security and Immigration (Articles 56–59)
  11. Chapter XI – Co-operation in Human Resources, Information, Social and Cultural Affairs (Articles 60–66)
  12. Chapter XII – Co-operation in other Areas (Article 67)
  13. Chapter XIII – Land-locked and Island Member States (Article 68)
  14. Chapter XIV – Financial Provisions (Articles 69–75)
  15. Chapter XV – Disputes (Article 76)
  16. Chapter XVI – Sanctions (Article 77)
  17. Chapters XVII–XXI – Relations with the African Economic Community, other regional communities, specialised institutions, third countries and international organisations (Articles 78–85)
  18. Chapter XXII – General and Final Provisions (Articles 86–93)

Applied by the ECOWAS Court in cases against Sierra Leone

  • Mohammed El Tayyib Bah v Republic of Sierra Leone · 4 May 2015 · Violation found

    Declared the applicant's dismissal from the police illegal, null and void because it was done without a hearing, in violation of the right to a fair hearing (Article 7(1), African Charter).

Cite this page

Lanbuk. (2026, November 7). Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Retrieved November 10, 2026, from https://www.lanbuk.com/laws/regional/ecowas-revised-treaty-1993

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