The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has allocated The Gambia a key institutional role within the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and a seat on the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

The decision was announced in the final communiqué of the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held on December 14 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Under the new distribution of statutory positions for the 2026–2030 period, The Gambia will hold one of the GIABA positions, strengthening its role in the regional fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and illicit financial flows.

ECOWAS also allocated The Gambia one of the five positions on the ECOWAS Court of Justice, alongside Benin, Togo, Nigeria and Liberia, reinforcing the country’s participation in regional judicial and rule-of-law institutions.

GIABA serves as ECOWAS’s specialised body responsible for promoting compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards across West Africa.

The latest appointments form part of a broader restructuring of ECOWAS statutory roles aimed at improving institutional balance, accountability and regional integration.

The summit, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, also reviewed the state of democracy, peace and security in the region and adopted wide-ranging decisions on economic integration, counterterrorism and governance.