Since 1975, ECOWAS has been engaged in many areas of development by setting up programmes and strengthening regional cooperation. It has organized activities in the economic, social and security sector.

Economic Sector

The Authority adopted the Protocol on free movement of persons, which abolishes the visa and entry permit and gives citizens of Member States with valid travel documents and international Vaccination certificates the right of residence and establishment for a maximum of ninety days even without permission. The travel certificate meanwhile exists in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, although different colours, formats and qualities are found. Adopted harmonized immigration and emigration forms have not been introduced yet. As monitoring agencies of the protocols concerning the free movement of goods and persons, some Member States already have established national committees though they still have to be improved. Despite all this, obstacles like administrative harassment and extortion at border posts as well as security check points remain.

The main objective of ECOWAS is the creation of a Free Trade Area and elimination of customs duties and taxes of equivalent effect on goods and approved products and well as the removal of non-tariff barriers on trade of goods within Member States was adopted by the Authority in 1990. But up to now, goods continue to be subjected to undue control and only Benin has lowered tariffs on goods originating from within the Community.
ECOWAS also consorted custom documents, regulations and formalities, established the Organization of regional ECOWAS Trade fairs and created the West African monetary institute (WAMI), which aims at the creation of the second regional currency (ECO) and the harmonization of monetary and fiscal policies as well as payment systems.

A key element to deepen integration is good infrastructure. Approximately 9000km of roads have been built, in addition to 11000km of interconnection roads. Also in the air and maritime transport sector, further liberalization and harmonization have been adopted. In the telecommunications sector, the INTELCOM I programme created a network of automatic telephone, telex and telefax links through the Member States and they are going to be expanded by INTELCOM II programme that will provide a more modern and reliable network.

As for the Energy sector, ECOWAS is engaged with the development of hydro-electric dams in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Mali, Togo and Benin, thermal plants in Coted’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Togo with energy out of Nigerian natural gas and over 5600km of electricity lines will be put in place. For rural areas ECOWAS is also supporting renewable sources of energy, such as solar energy, biomass, mini and micro hydro-electric.

Social Sector

Sustainable Development does not only need programmes in the economic sector, but also in the social sector. ECOWAS has set up t5he West African Health Organization (WAHO) and laws on Drug control are being harmonized. A Gender Development Centre was established and Gender policy adopted. A protocol on education and training was also adopted by the Authority, and the Decade of Education in West Africa declared. ECOWAS founded the ECOWAS Youth and Sport Development Centre, created socio-professional organizations and awarded three prizes of excellence in African pharmacopoeia (1999) and HIV/AIDS best practice.

Security Sector

Peace and regional security are crucial factors for development in West Africa. Thus, in 1978 a non-aggression protocol, in 1981 a defence assistance protocol and in 1991 a declaration of political principles were adopted. The war in Liberia led to the establishment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in 1990. Apart from Liberia; ECOMOG intervened in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. The crises in the region stressed the importance of an improved mechanism for conflict prevention and management as well as the fight against the insecurity of the region.

ECOWAS therefore adopted the Declaration of a moratorium on importation, exportation and manufacture of light weapons in West Africa in 1998 and the ECOWAS Mechanism for Conflict prevention, Management and Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security in 1999. The Mechanism establishes institutions and formulates policies to prevent, manage and resolve internal and inter-State conflicts. Furthermore it strengthens cooperation in the areas of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention, early-warning and peace-keeping operations.

But most importantly, it authorizes interventions in Member States if there is an internal conflict threatening to trigger a humanitarian disaster or a serious threat to peace and security in the sub-region or an overthrow of a democratically elected government. Furthermore, in 2001, the Authority adopted a supplementary protocol of the ECOWAS Mechanism, the protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. This document contains among other things the Constitutional convergence principles, rule of law, human rights and good governance. The supplementary protocol is a comprehensive consideration of the necessary reform steps towards social peace in the Member States of ECOWAS.