The Ivorian Minister of Culture and Francophonie, Mr. Augustin Kouadio Komoe, 
has called on West African to see culture as an instrument for regional 
development.
Mr. Komoe who was addressing the 3rd Conference of ECOWAS Ministers of Culture 
on Friday, 31st July 2009 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, stated that his main 
concern was “to ensure effective implementation of our decisions and 
recommendations and that culture should not be considered only because of its 
decorative aspect, but more importantly as an indispensable instrument for 
regional development”. 
The minister said that thanks to their economic and identity dimensions, 
cultural products express the creative strength of the peoples of the region 
and contribute to democratic awareness and social cohesion. He thus advocated 
a better popularisation of the regional Culture Fund, widespread dissemination 
of the ECOWAS Prize for Excellence as well as a better coordination of the 
regional policy on copyright protection. 
Mr. Komoe also stressed the need to organise a “Conference on AIDS and 
Cultural Practices” as well as the ECOWAS Festival commonly known 
as “ECOFEST”. 
In addition, he expressed his gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission, in 
particular to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas 
and to the Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop, 
for their constant support to cultural issues. 
Dr. Diop who represented the President of the Commission at the meeting, to 
called on Member States yet to appoint their National Correspondents for 
Culture to do so in order to ensure regular follow-ups of the records and 
reinforcement of regional cooperation. 
She said keen attention should be paid to the monitoring and implementation of 
decisions and recommendations with a view to facilitating proper harmonisation 
and integration of regional and national cultural programmes.
In his address, the representative of the Minister of Culture of Niger and 
outgoing Chairman of the Conference, urged ECOWAS citizens to work together 
for the achievement, through culture, of a united Community where everybody 
will live in peace.
Also speaking, the Ivorian Minister of African Integration, Mr. Amadou Kone, 
lamented the limited resources available for cultural matters, the poor 
development of culture in ECOWAS Member States and the various challenges 
against culture in the Community. In this regard, Mr. Kone urged Member States 
to harness their efforts in order to make culture a real instrument for 
regional development. 
He expressed hope that the meeting would make the relevant recommendations and 
resolutions to facilitate the development of culture within the Community and 
enhance the image of Member States worldwide.
In his opening address, the Nigerian Minister of Tourism, Culture and National 
Orientation and Chairman of the Conference, Mr. Bello Jibril Gada, said 
culture should be effectively utilised to fight poverty and promote social 
development. 
While recalling the threat caused by the global economic crisis, Mr. Gada 
recommended culture as a potential remedy to take up the challenge, subject to 
its proper exploitation, development and promotion.
The theme of the 3rd Conference of ECOWAS Ministers of Culture was: “Culture 
and Regional Integration: Commitments to achievements and prospects”. The 
Conference enabled the participants to evaluate the state of implementation of 
the Regional Cultural Action Plan as well as the decisions and recommendations 
of the 2nd Conference held in August 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria.
At the end of the meeting, the Ministers adopted several recommendations on 
Cultural Programmes, the Regional Cultural Agenda, Copyright Protection, 
Statutes of the ECOWAS Regional Culture Fund and the Strategy for Resource 
Mobilisation. They agreed to establish national committees on coordination and 
implementation of the cultural programmes.

Other resolutions were taken on the creation of a regional museum of 
contemporary arts and institutionalisation of an ECOWAS Day for the fight 
against piracy and fraud. The Ministers also adopted resolutions on the 
creation of a radio and television station as well as an ECOWAS website on 
cultural issues. The station will be aimed at facilitating and promoting 
integration of the West African countries and will be thematic and specialised 
in promoting Community Arts and Culture. It may also serve as medium for all 
cultural events.

In addition to adopting the Statutes of the Regional Cultural Fund, the 
ministers recommended the establishment of a Copyright and ECOWAS Hologram 
Observatory to fight against piracy. On the Strategy for Resource 
Mobilisation, the Conference recommended that the use of taxes should be 
considered for the Culture Fund, as being practised by Cote d’Ivoire.  

The 4th Conference of the ECOWAS Ministers of Culture will hold in Nigeria in 
2011 and Burkina Faso will host the 5th Conference in 2013.