A five-day ECOWAS Commission study visit to Bonn and Brussels ended on 16 October 2026, examining how the EU coordinates cross-border disaster response and how those practices might inform West Africa’s emerging mechanisms.
The mission, which ran from 12 to 16 October, brought together representatives from the national disaster management agencies and hydrometeorological services of four pilot member states — Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo — alongside Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency and experts from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the World Meteorological Organization and the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development.
Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Acting Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, led the delegation.
In Bonn, participants visited the UN Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, where they examined how satellite imagery, Earth observation data and geospatial technologies can support risk assessment, early warning and emergency response.
Discussions with UNDRR covered international cooperation, disaster risk governance and resilience-building strategies. The ECOWAS Commission also presented its humanitarian and disaster management mandate, including progress on operationalising the ECOWAS Emergency Operations Centre.
At DHL, the delegation learned about the company’s GoHelp disaster management programme and exchanged views on public-private partnerships in logistics, emergency supply chains and relief delivery.
In Brussels, the delegation joined policymakers and development partners from Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for a high-level Regional Dialogue titled “Disaster Risk Management: From Space to Grassroots.”
The dialogue examined how innovations in space technologies and Earth observation can be translated into actionable solutions for disaster risk reduction.
High-level speakers included the Vice-President of Guatemala, the European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence.
The delegation also visited the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, the operational hub of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, to observe how emergencies are monitored, information is exchanged and assistance is coordinated in real time across participating countries.
The visit provided practical lessons for strengthening the operational capabilities of the ECOWAS Emergency Operations Centre, particularly in situational awareness, coordination and emergency response management.
Engagements with ENABEL, the Belgian Development Agency, focused on opportunities to strengthen the operational capacity of the ECOWAS centre, including regional coordination, information-sharing and monitoring functions, and supporting member states to make fuller use of the centre’s services.
The visit forms part of the DG ECHO–ECOWAS project, Strengthening Disaster Preparedness and Early Warning Systems in West Africa, funded by the European Union through DG ECHO and implemented by the ECOWAS Commission with technical support from UNDRR.
The project aims to enhance regional coordination, strengthen capacities in disaster risk reduction and climate services, and advance interoperability among early warning and civil protection systems.
Lessons from the exchanges will inform practical recommendations for adapting EU practices to the ECOWAS context and guide a framework for continued engagement with European civil protection institutions, according to the commission.
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