The establishment of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre was inspired by instruments and decisions by competent authorities of ECOWAS Member States following protracted civil wars and other conflicts experienced by the subregional bloc. Firstly, Article 58 (1) of the Revised Treaty of the ECOWAS (1993) provides for the establishment of a regional peace and security observation system and peacekeeping forces where appropriate. Further to that, Chapter IV of the 1999 Protocol (Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and security) provides the framework for the establishment of a sub-regional peace and security system (Early Warning System). On 14th July 2014, Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, in a communiqué at the 45th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS held in Accra, adopted the Strategic Framework for the establishment of National Early Warning and Response Mechanism. Finally, at its 75th Ordinary Session in Abuja from 13th – 14th December 2015, the Council of Ministers promulgated Regulation C/REG 12/12/15 on the establishment of National Early Warning and Response Mechanism in Member States. It was against this background that the Centre was established.
The National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre (NCCRM) – The Gambia was established by Executive Order No. 88 which was signed by H.E Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, on 19th December 2019. It was launched on 27th December 2022 as a public institution under the Office of the Vice President. Its overall mandate is to coordinate and harmonize all Early Warning and Response systems in The Gambia, and to advice government on human security threats. The Centre also has mandate to assist the Community Commission in the timely identification of an emerging crisis in the West African sub-region and the implementation of an improved crisis response mechanism. The center is headed by a Director, supported by five Analysts specialised in five thematic sectors identified as threats to human security in the sub-region, as well as administrative support staff.
