ECOWAS Permanent Representation to the African Union endorsed conclusions on border governance after the third Abidjan Border Forum, held 20-22 October 2026 under the theme “Border Communities: Culture, Integration and Security.”
The representation took part in the forum’s work through its Political Advisor, according to a report from the Economic Community of West African States.
In its account of the sessions, the representation set out three observations it said it agreed with at the close of the forum.
The first holds that linguistic, historical and cultural links between cross-border populations remain essential factors for stability, and that traditional mediation mechanisms and local knowledge must be fully valued to prevent conflicts at the grassroots level.
The second observation states that, despite persistent administrative and infrastructural obstacles, border communities, local authorities and local economic actors demonstrate daily that integration is built concretely through the dynamism of cross-border trade.
The third addresses security. Faced with the challenges of terrorism and illicit trafficking, the representation said an exclusively security approach is insufficient, and that lasting peace rests on strong inter-state cooperation, socio-economic development and the active involvement of populations.
The forum validated a model based on cross-border cooperation, the integration of peoples and the rigorous application of the African Union Convention on Transboundary Cooperation.
To carry these aims forward, the representation committed to bringing five recommendations to the continental level:
- Accelerate the ratification and deployment of the Niamey Convention;
- Strengthen the capacity of the African Union Borders Programme (AUBP);
- Place border communities at the heart of public development policies;
- Promote culture as a tool for cohesion and regional cooperation;
- Massively increase investment in cross-border infrastructure.
The forum concluded that culture, integration and security are inseparable if African borders are to become true vectors of peace, prosperity and continental unity.
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