Mrs. Irene Maamah is the Director of the ECOWAS Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She joined the Ghana Civil Service in April 1983 and was posted to the Ministry of Finance, where she worked in the International Economic Relations Division for 17 years. In July 2000, she was transferred to the Ministry of Planning, regional Economic Cooperation and Integration as Director of the ECOWAS Division. She joined the Foreign Service in May 2006, following the merger of the Ministry with the erstwhile Ministry of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD.

Mrs. Maamah diligently supervises the day-to-day activities of the Bureau and its three officers, to ensure that the Ministry achieves its objectives, which includes coordinating and overseeing the implementation of Regional Protocols, Agreements, Conventions, Programmes and Projects in the Country, in harmony with national development policies.

Mrs. Maamah represented the Ministry of Finance and Regional Cooperation and NEPAD on several key Committees and Boards. She has also participated actively in job related Meetings, Conferences and Summits at the International level.

Mrs. Maamah, a product of Achimota Secondary School, University of Ghana and University of Manchester (UK) has a varied educational background, with a B.A (Sociology), M.A (Economics), Post-Graduate Diplomas in Development Studies, Journalism and Mass Communication.

Mrs. Maamah, a Christian and a Methodist is married with two children. She is proficient in English and has a working knowledge of German and French. Her hobbies are swimming, reading, music and football.

Mission

To ensure the maximum participation and contribution of Ghana to the regional Integration and development process, to enable Ghana derive optimum benefit from its ECOWAS Membership.

Roles and Functions

The Bureau provides the link between Community institutions and Regional Integration Stakeholders in the country by initiating or coordinating action in the following areas:

a. Information and Enlightenment
b. Mobilization Organisation and Technical Support
c. Participation in ECOWAS decision making processes
d. Implementation of ECOWAS programmes
e. Meeting Principal National Obligations
f. Participation in Regional Events
g. Participation in ECOWAS meetings.

As a result of the above, the ECOWAS Bureau undertakes the following:

v Acquire and distribute information on ECOWAS, its activities and programmes.

v Develop and update community data system on ECOWAS and organize public campaign and sensitization programmes on ECOWAS and Regional Integration.

v Facilitate the creation of national associations of interest groups such as private sector, professionals or civil society.

v Assist the Ministry in the regular review of ECOWAS issues by
providing technical support to the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee.

v Ensure the submission of regular progress reports on programme implementation to the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee and facilitate follow ups.

v Actively participate in ECOWAS programmes activities and Statutory, Commissions and other key ECOWAS meetings.

v Facilitate participation of national associations in ECOWAS events.

v Facilitate access of ECOWAS representations to the appropriate
government officials.

v Assist the Ministry in constantly monitoring the functioning of the Technical Coordination Committee and establishing sector specific
technical sub-committees on priority regional integration issues.

v Work closely with the NEPAD Bureau in the implementation of Regional initiatives.

v Assist the Ministry in identifying and proposing new areas for consider- ation at the regional level.

v Work effectively with the relevant Ministries in adopting clear national positions in preparation for ECOWAS meetings.

v Ensure designation of appropriate national delegations for ECOWAS meetings whilst facilitating their attendance and effective participation in ECOWAS meetings.

v Initiate necessary background studies to facilitate identification of national interests and concerns on any regional issues raised under ECOWAS programme activities.

v Convene, on a systematic basis, appropriate National Technical Committees to review issues of national interest raised under ECOWAS initiatives.

v Inform and involve all stakeholders concerned with any ECOWAS pro grammes.

v Dispatch all enabling ECOWAS legal instruments and other related information to all parties involved in the applicable programme imple- mentation process.

v Make available to appropriate national authorities, the signed texts of Community Acts and monitor the ratification process.

v Work with the relevant government institutions to ensure the enactment of national legislation needed for the implementation at the national level of Community Acts and Decisions.

v Assist the Minister in ensuring the incorporation of Community Acts and Decisions into relevant national legislation and development poli- cies as enunciated e.g. in national plans and annual budget statements.

v Facilitate the formation of a national programme implementation group and designation of a lead implementing agency whilst assisting in the preparation and adoption of appropriate national programme implemen- tation plans.

v Assist in the establishment of National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for key ECOWAS programmes, ensuring that the M&E system includes creation of database and selection of key performance indicators.

v Facilitate the mobilization of the necessary resources for the implemen- tation of each programme.

v Organize, coordinate or monitor as appropriate, national action to be taken within the framework of regional programmes.

v Monitor the effective functioning of the National Committees created under the various ECOWAS programmes.

v Assist the Minister in ensuring the effective application of the Community Levy, and the prompt payment of financial contributions due to ECOWAS Institutions.

v Encourage maximum participation of economic operators, civil society groups in regional events especially events such as business forums, trade fairs and exhibitions trade missions and exchange programmes.