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Dzifa Gomashie launches three-day consultative meeting of ECOWAS Member States on copyright under AfCFTA
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie (M.P), on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, launched the three-day Consultative Meeting of ECOWAS Member States for a Coordinated Response to Copyright Issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Since January 1, 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has brought together 54 countries of the continent and seeks to bring all member States of the African Union (AU) by bringing together key institutions as the common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Southern Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the Arab Maghreb Union and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.
The objective of this meeting was to provide a coordinated response to the consideration of copyright issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while taking into account the national legislation of ECOWAS member countries.
In her opening remarks, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts emphasised that Ghana recognizes the immense potential of AfCFTA to stimulate economic growth, promote innovation, and foster cultural exchange across the African continent. Realizing these potential hinges on the establishment of a robust and harmonized intellectual property rights framework, with copyright at its core.
She urged the ECOWAS Member States to have a shared responsibility in ensuring that the National copyright laws align with international standards while reflecting the unique needs and circumstances of our region.
She was optimistic that, the consultation meeting would provide a valuable platform for member states to engage in open dialogue, exchange best practices, and identify areas of convergence in our respective legal frameworks.
The Minister further enumerated some key issues that attention should be paid to in the formulation of the legal framework or reference point when it comes to Intellectual property (IP).
i) The scope of copyright protection.
ii) Enforcement mechanisms
iii) Collective management organization
iv) Exceptions and limitations
v) Cross-border cooperation
Concluding her remarks, Abla Dzifa Gomashie encouraged Member States to seize the opportunity to work together towards a future where creativity is celebrated, innovation is rewarded, and the cultural wealth of our region is safeguarded for generations yet to come.
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๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ
The Boundary Commission of Ghana, led by the Commissioner General, Major General Emmanuel Kotia (Ph.D), paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra.
Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak welcomed the delegation and expressed his appreciation for the Commission’s efforts in maintaining Ghana’s territorial integrity.
The Minister assured the Commission of the Ministry’s continued support and collaboration in their endeavors.
Major General Kotia emphasised the Commission’s crucial role in identifying border crossing boundaries, which guides security agencies in carrying out their duties across various borders, ensuring national security and stability.
He also expressed gratitude to the Ministry for the cooperation the Commission has had in addressing boundary-related issues with the Ministry and Ghana Immigration Service.
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CSA working closely with X to restore President Mahama’s page
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has provided an update on President Mahamaโs Twitter page hack.
According to them in a statement today, in the early hours of Monday, March 17, 2025, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) received a report concerning the compromise of President John Dramani Mahama’s X (formerly Twitter) account, @JDMahama.
According to them, the account has been used to promote a cryptocurrency called “Solana Africa”.
They revealed, “We understand the public concern this incident has generated and are actively addressing the situation. “
The Authority noted that they are working closely with X and other relevant stakeholders to
address this incident and prevent future occurrences.
The CSA will provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
