MONROVIA – Liberia was represented by Anthony Roberts as Technical Focal Person to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the ECOWAS Consultative Workshop on Consumer Protection and Dispute Resolution in Air Transport held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from March 4–6, 2026.
The regional meeting brought together representatives from ECOWAS member states and key institutions including the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Parliament to discuss stronger consumer protection measures in the West African aviation sector.
The workshop aimed to strengthen understanding and application of the Yamoussoukro Decision texts, promote a regional consumer protection framework, and improve dispute settlement mechanisms for airline passengers across the region.
Participants also reviewed national systems for handling passenger complaints and examined regional initiatives designed to enhance traveler rights and compensation mechanisms.
During the opening ceremony, remarks were delivered by several regional aviation leaders including KAMARA Kumba Margaret of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sierra Leone, Sinaly Silue, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Côte d’Ivoire, Chris Appiah, Director of Transport at the ECOWAS Commission, and Mamadou Sako of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The speakers emphasized the importance of harmonizing legal and regulatory frameworks to protect passengers and strengthen dispute resolution in the air transport sector.
At the end of the three-day consultation, participants adopted a report containing key recommendations including the creation of a regional digital complaints platform, a passenger compensation mechanism, and an alternative dispute resolution system.
The meeting concluded with appreciation to all delegates for their contributions and a renewed commitment to improving consumer protection in air transport across the ECOWAS region.
