ECOWAS discusses regional volunteering monitoring system at Lomé forum

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jeudi, 04 juin 2026 14:10

ECOWAS discusses regional volunteering monitoring system at Lomé forum

(Togo First) - The 8th Annual Forum of National Volunteering Agencies of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) concluded in Lomé on Thursday with a focus on improving the collection and management of volunteering data across the region.

Representatives of member states, regional institutions and technical partners gathered from Tuesday under the theme "From Knowledge to Action: Practical Tools and Reliable Data to Strengthen the Role of Volunteering in the ECOWAS Region." Discussions centred on drafting a reference framework to harmonise monitoring mechanisms and information-sharing systems.

Participants said the aim is to produce comparable data across member states to better assess volunteering's contribution to development policies.

ECOWAS Resident Representative to Togo Deweh Emil Gray said the lack of harmonised systems currently limits efforts to evaluate the impact of initiatives implemented across member states.

The forum also focused on the exchange of experiences among national agencies and the identification of best practices that could strengthen regional coordination.

Through its Youth and Sports Development Centre, ECOWAS promotes volunteering as a tool for regional integration, peacebuilding and sustainable development.

Togo, the host country, has mobilised more than 80,000 volunteers since 2011. Authorities are preparing a new programme aimed at engaging nearly 140,000 young people by 2028.

R.E.D.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.