ECOWAS Convention reaffirms the basic principles of the Moratorium and includes a number of the same key provisions, including: The establishment of National Commissions; A regional arms register and database; The training of security personnel; The harmonization of laws; The enhancement of border controls; Arms collection and destruction.
Since the Convention is a legally binding agreement, States that have agreed to it must implement its provisions and can be sanctioned if they fail to do so through the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council or the ECOWAS Court of Justice. The Convention entered into force following ratification by the ninth Member State on 3 November 2009. The nine countries that have ratified the convention are Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Guinea and Liberia. The ECOWAS Convention is unique in the sense that it includes several new elements that are not found in already existing measures. Among the most salient of these are: Ammunition and other related material; Reference to non-state actors; Provision of a sanctions mechanism in the case of noncompliance. The Convention seeks to achieve its mandate by:
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