Libreville (Rep. Gabon), May 02, 2023 – This morning saw the opening in the Gabonese capital of the regional technical workshop on the implementation texts of the revised Treaty of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The opening ceremony was presided over by the Vice-President of the ECCAS Commission, Her Excellency, Madame Francisca Tatchouop Belobe in the presence of delegates from ECCAS member states, ambassadors, members of the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREP), Commissioners, the Administrative Secretary, Advisors, Directors, Heads of Department and other experts.
These proceedings are being held in accordance with the instructions of the ECCAS Council of Ministers held on February 23, 2023 in Kinshasa (DR Congo), concerning the examination of all draft regulatory and financial texts to be considered at the next session of the ECCAS Commission’s Joint Specialized Technical Committee on Justice/Legal Affairs and Finance/Budget.
The aim of the Workshop is to examine the various draft texts prepared by the Commission’s experts and to reflect on, propose amendments to and support the finalization of the revised Treaty’s implementing texts, in particular :
1. The revised rules of procedure of the Conference of Heads of State and Government ;
2. Revised rules of procedure of the Council of Ministers ;
3. The Commission’s rules of procedure ;
4. Rules of procedure of the Permanent Representatives Committee ;
5. Rules of procedure of the Interstate Committee of Experts ;
6. Rules of procedure for the Defense, Safety and Security Specialized Technical Committee;
7. The Community Procurement Code.
For almost ten days, participants will focus on five sessions, including :
– A session dedicated to the draft texts of the Rules of Procedure of the organs, bringing together senior officials and legal experts from the Ministries of Justice of the member states;
– A session on the normative frameworks relating to the community’s budgetary, financial and accounting rules, bringing together public finance/budget/accounting specialists from member states;
– A session dedicated to the financing of the Community, bringing together public finance/budget/customs/collection specialists from the member states and experts from the national central banks of the BEAC member states;
– A session on the draft Community Procurement Code with senior officials, legal experts from the Ministry of Justice, finance/budget specialists;
– A session on the draft protocols relating to the Community’s parliament, court of justice and court of auditors, bringing together parliamentarians, judges, senior legal experts from the Ministries of Justice and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Regional Integration/External Relations.
After the opening ceremony, the proceedings will be divided into two Workshops: the first on regulatory texts and the second on (01) the normative framework of budgetary rules for Community bodies, (02) the normative framework of general accounting for Community bodies, and (03) Community financing.
The two workshops will culminate in a joint session on the procurement code and the procurement procedure manual.
Automatic translation