During a workshop on the Economic Community of West African States Early Warning Program (ECOWARN), regional journalists laid out a blueprint for how to help the system build and gather information on security issues, as well as highlighted their vital role in gathering such information.

ECOWARN was designed as a strategy for conflict prevention by tasking regional states to gather information on early warning signs of conflict. States have urged the creation of mechanisms that will enable journalists to collect and process information on the early warning signs of conflict as well as investigate social issues that underlay conflict, such as poverty.

Journalists at the workshop also urged the ECOWARN commission to promote freedom of access to information for journalists in the region. Moreover, the commission considered developing workshops that will build the capacity of the media in West Africa.

For more information, visit http://www.panapress.com/freenews.asp?code=eng0117.