Looking towards Europe? Assessing the prospects of the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Strategy in promoting responsible state behavior

Abstract

In 2021, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted a regional Cybersecurity Strategy with a view to promoting cybersecurity governance within the West Africa region. However, questions arise as to the prospects of the Cybersecurity Strategy in enhancing the development of norms for responsible state behavior amongst Member States of the ECOWAS. This paper discusses the prospects of the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Strategy in enhancing the development of norms for responsible State behavior amongst States in West Africa. Against the background of earlier cybersecurity governance frameworks established by the ECOWAS, the paper analyzes the Strategy and explores its prospects and limits in promoting the development of norms for responsible state behavior within the ECOWAS region. In so doing, the paper considers challenges to the development of norms for responsible State behavior within the framework of the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Strategy. In particular, the paper finds that poor implementation of Community frameworks have been a challenge in the ECOWAS and suggests that this challenge will impede the Strategy in promoting the development of norms for responsible State behavior within the region. The paper further identifies comparative examples from the European context by considering the adaptation of measures from European Union regimes to enhance the development of norms for responsible State behavior within the ECOWAS framework.