The West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP), established in May 2013, is a network of focal points of the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo plus Chad, and Mauritania.
Implemented with the support of the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the network is an outcome of the Bamako Declaration on Impunity, Justice, and Human Rights in West Africa, adopted in December 2011, where the ECOWAS States agreed to take specific action to promote mutual legal assistance networks among prosecutors in different countries and develop a regional strategy to facilitate prosecution of persons involved in transnational organized crime.
WACAP, in line with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), is strengthening capacity and operational cooperation among authorities responsible for international cooperation in criminal matters and supporting prosecutors/magistrates, in particular, to more effectively combat all forms of organized and serious crime, including terrorism, and to recover the proceeds of such crimes.
The WACAP network is promoting the establishment and strengthening of central authorities in the region. Through regular meetings and training, the network enables central authorities and relevant practitioners to exchange information about their respective legal systems and procedures, to develop a common language, and to share good practices. [Read more]
Tenth Plenary Meeting of the WACAP Network, 8-12 November 2021
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Communications from central authorities regarding working and emergency measures as a result of the health crisis caused by COVID-19. To access the list of emergency measures, please address a request to unodc-mla.facilitators@un.org or luisfrancisco.dejorgemesas@un.org.