ECOWAS Court Delegation Undertakes Study Visits on Enforcement of Human Rights Decisions

A delegation from the Community Court of Justice (ECOWAS Court) led by the President of the Court, Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, embarked on a study visit to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and other key institutions in Sweden.

The tour, which took place between 23 and 29 November 2025, has as its core objective to provide the delegation from the ECOWAS Court with practical insights into the enforcement of human rights judgments from regional and international courts.

According to a statement from ECOWAS Court, the weeklong visit focused on learning from the experiences of other international courts and institutions, while also providing a platform for the ECOWAS Court to share its own experiences.

The statement further revealed that the study visit was intended to enhance the ECOWAS Court’s enforcement mechanisms and significantly improve compliance with its human rights judgments.

The visit was organised by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) as part of its programme aimed at increasing the implementation of human rights decisions of continental and regional human rights institutions in Africa.

The delegation led by the President of the Court included the Hon. Vice-President of the Court, Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, and Members of the Court, Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara and Justice Dupe Atoki.

Others were the Chief Registrar of the Court, Director of Research and Documentation, as well as selected staff of the Registry, Administration and Finance Department and the Language Services division of the Court. Two staff members of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute were also present.