Source of funds: 10th EDF (CRIS ref: 2013/022-263)
Decision date: 29/07/2013 (FA signature: 22/11/2013)
Total budget: 16.5 MEUR (no counterpart funding)
Implementing period: 57 months, until October 2019 (12 month extension)
Implementing agencies: UNODC + ECOWAS Commission (Direct grant award)
Geographical region: West Africa
Objective:
The overall objective is to contribute to a reduction of drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related organised
crime in West Africa.
Expected outcome:
· Improved ECOWAS advocacy, monitoring and coordination capacity;
· Regional policies and advocacy is informed by evidence-based studies;
· The development and sharing of practices and experiences enable the emerging of more specialized
expertise in drug prevention and treatment in West Africa;
· Reformed national institutional and legal frameworks and improved sub-regional, regional and
international cooperation.
Main activities:
· Database on all legal instruments, Drug control Institutions and CSO/ Youth/ media networks in West
Africa available (1.2.1, 1.2.2);
· Setting-up and implementing an effective policy advocacy scheme for the regional ECOWAS action plan
against drugs.
Main accomplishments to date:
After four years of implementation, the programme can present the following achievements reflecting an
integrated approach targeting both drug demand and drug supply and involving regional, national and local
authorities as well as CSOs:
Legal assessment:
- M&E Missions on implementation of the ECOWAS Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, Drug Abuse and
Related Organized Crimes conducted in the 15 Member States and Mauritania completed in 2018 and
Individual Country Reports produced;
- Status report on the implementation of the ECOWAS Action Plan to address illicit drug trafficking, drug
abuse and organized crime in West Africa - 2016-2020 produced;
Data collection and analysis:
- ECOWAS & UNODC produced the First West African Epidemiology Report on Illicit Drug Use and Supply
(2014-2017) through the establishment of 2 national contact points per country;
- National Chapters of West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) were launched in
Benin, Niger, and Togo with about 210 Health professionals and CSOs representatives trained resulting
in increase in epidemiology data representation consistency and accuracy by 80% in 2018;
Support to legal reforms:
- Legal Instruments and Institutional Frameworks on Drug Prevention and Control in the 15 ECOWAS
Member States and Mauritania were compiled and a synthesized Regional Report with
recommendations for follow up actions produced.
Support to CSOs and healthcare professionals to better address drug demand:
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- Three Networks for the Media, Youth and Civil Society Organisations for drug prevention established
and operational;
- Training for healthcare professionals and representatives of CSOs on the Universal Treatment
Curriculum of the Drug Advisory Program (Colombo Plan) held for about 20 in Togo and 22 in Burkina
Faso;
Support to Law Enforcement Agencies:
ECOWAS-INTERPOL joint Training and Operations held in Niger, Nigeria, The Gambia and Guinea
resulting in the seizure of several tons of illicit drugs, psychoactive substances and counterfeit
pharmaceuticals.
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