The main goal of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is to raise living standards and encourage economic development by promoting economic cooperation among Member States of the sub-region: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The ECOWAS established a free trade area in 1990 and, as of January 2015, has adopted a common external tariff.
Cross-border social dialogue takes place at a tripartite social dialogue forum established in 2010 with a view to implementing the ECOWAS labour and employment policy, and its action plan. The forum is composed of government representatives, the most representative employers’ and trade union organizations from each Member State, as well as regional social partner organizations, namely the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa and the Federation of West African Employers' Organisations, alongside other civil society organizations.
The tripartite forum, which has a permanent secretariat, meets annually. It has launched several policy initiatives at the ECOWAS level, such as those aimed at the harmonisation of labour rights. The forum has also initiated a process of developing a decent work programme for the region, and is comprised of, among other things, a working group focused on labour migration issues (since 2017).