Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, has called for the reinforcement of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as a key solution for promoting solidarity, equality, and sustainability.
Speaking at the G20 Ministerial Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, February 21, 2025, Dr. Touray stressed that strengthening RECs would bolster international cooperation and multilateralism.
“If you want to deliver on solidarity, equality and sustainability, we must support and strengthen Regional Economic Communities (RECs). I would like to appeal to the Chair to include this call in the conclusions of these proceedings. Indeed, stronger Regional Economic Communities will give meaning to the calls for international cooperation and enhance multilateralism”
Dr. Alieu Touray also highlighted the critical role of debt sustainability in driving inclusive development and growth, emphasizing its potential to strengthen Regional Economic Communities. Economic experts have warned that poor debt management could lead to reduced fiscal space, increased reliance on external aid, and ultimately, hinder economic growth.
Additionally, Dr. Touray recognized the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for humanity and urged the G20 Task Force on AI to carefully consider the risks associated with the misuse of AI in spreading fake news and disinformation, which could threaten social cohesion in communities. He reaffirmed ECOWAS’ unwavering support and commitment to collaborating with the South African Presidency at the G20 to achieve its set priorities.
“Paying attention to those challenges is not about restriction but about peace and security. ECOWAS therefore supports and welcomes the Task Force and urges the Task Force to pay special attention to the risks of misusing AI to generate and disseminate fake news and disinformation that have the potential to disrupt social cohesion in Communities”
The G20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum made up of 19 sovereign countries—Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States—as well as the European Union and the African Union.
Last week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presided over the Meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers, held under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
