Type of practice: Early warning systems
Country: Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Name of Stakeholder: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Type of Stakeholder Implementing the Practice: Regional Institutions
Type of crisis: Conflict, Natural Disaster
Crisis phase: Crisis Preparedness

Description

Pursuant to Chapter IV of the 1999 protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peace-keeping and security, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has established a sub-regional peace and security observation system. The ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN) is operated by the ECOWAS Early Warning Department. ECOWARN consists of an observation and monitoring centre located at the ECOWAS Secretariat and observation and monitoring zones within the sub-region.

Related Links
http://www.ecowarn.org/Login.aspx

Guidelines/Thematic Areas

Information on crises

GUIDELINE 1: Track information on conflicts and natural disasters, and potential impact on migrants

To protect migrants, States, private sector actors, international organizations, and civil society need to understand risks and exposure to crises in regions, countries, and localities. They also need to understand the ways in which crises can affect people, including migrants, and their assets. The period before the onset of a full-scale conflict or natural disaster is a critical time to undertake efforts to protect and assist people, including migrants, and to secure essential resources and infrastructure.

Not all conflicts and natural disasters are entirely unpredictable. Conflicts may be preceded by various signs, including protests, xenophobic violence, and civil unrest. Local actors, close to the source of an impending conflict, and with the experience to interpret signs and events, may often possess the most timely and accurate information. They can be an important source of knowledge for others.

Understanding regional, national, and local natural disaster risks and overlaying this information with information on the location and characteristics of migrants can inform preparation and response efforts. As in conflict situations, local sources of knowledge may also be important. While many natural disasters occur with great immediacy, different regions, countries, and localities are prone to specific types of natural disasters. Those related to weather events often occur with some forewarning. Some are cyclical and recurrent and the warning signs will be familiar to those who have experienced them before. A number of early warning systems exist to forecast and monitor natural disasters and alert stakeholders and communities of impending crises.

Sample Practices

  • Early warning systems for natural disasters adapted and tested to reach migrants in multiple languages.
  • Assessments to understand the potential effects of natural disasters on migrant communities and their assets.
  • Inclusion of migrant characteristics in disaster vulnerability assessments by analyzing how factors, such as immigration status, language proficiency, or gender reduce access to information, resources, or protection.
  • Community-based risk assessments that engage migrants in the identification of natural disasters, vulnerability, and capacities.
  • Inclusion of migrants’ presence and vulnerability in early warning and early action mechanisms.
  • Structures to share information on developing civil unrest or conflict.

 

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