In September 2022, CDD-Ghana officially launched the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) in Accra. Conceived as a regional democracy defense network with membership drawn from national and transnational civil society organizations in West Africa, WADEMOS seeks to build solidarity and mobilize collective action among its members and civil society generally, as well as engage and work constructively with regional intergovernmental actors, to counter threats to democracy and constitutionalism in the ECOWAS region.
At the inaugural meeting of the network, members adopted the network by-laws and approved CDD-Ghana’s role as convener, secretariat, and project management unit of the network. Members also agreed on a set of strategic priorities for the network for the next two years, ending December 31, 2024.
This annual report presents the status of implementation of the WADEMOS project for the year 2023, which was the network’s first full year of operation.
The Network chalked some significant outcomes in 2023, including: Increased name recognition of WADEMOS and growing unsolicited interest in membership of the Network; Recognition, acceptance, and endorsement of WADEMOS by leadership of the ECOWAS Commission and AU, and invitations for WADEMOS participation in dialogue, meetings, and other activities of the ECOWAS; Organization of regional convenings bringing together civil society and ECOWAS to deliberate on democracy trends in the sub-region and explore partnerships for solution; Embarking on a campaign to institutionalize on term limits and expedite revision of the ECOWAS Protocols; Commissioning expert country study reports on countries undergoing political transitions; Implementing the Next Generation Initiative to groom the next crop of leaders in West Africa; Operationalizing DEMOS-Fund; Publishing about 33 press releases / statements to amplify CSO voice and advocacy on sub-regional matters; Featuring in over 115 media interviews, engagements and articles about WADEMOS activities and witnessing significant growth of the Network on digital platforms.
Read the full report below:
