Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 46 committees that, by their functions and powers, have roles to play in the country's external relations, for instance, finance, trade relations, security and defence, the environment, education, science and technology, so far as these fall within their official mandate. Indeed, the processes of West African integration have actually engaged the governments of the sub-region in different sectors of national and sub-regional importance, including trade, telecommunications, science and technology, customs, finance, migration, transportation, agriculture, water, the environment, energy, health, justice, the rule of law and good governance. In the Ghanaian example, these priorities translate into frequent consultations among government officials in the ministries, departments and agencies(MDAs) on one hand, and parliamentarians on the other, on issues that bear national and international ramifications, thus offering opportunities for interactions with their counterparts at the sub-regional level. Some of these commitments entail deliberations on proposed policies which require parliamentary hearings and approval at the committee level and on the floor of the House. The fact that protocols and bills emanating from the ECOWAS have to be deliberated upon and ratified by parliament in order to become law of the land whilst those ratified through Acts of Parliament receive presidential assent, means that parliament plays a significant role in the processes of regional integration. Examples of such treaties that have passed through the Ghanaian Parliament include the ratification of the 1993 Revised Treaty of the ECOWAS; the 1994 Protocol establishing the Community Parliament of ECOWAS; the 1999 Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security; the 2001 Protocol on the Fight against Corruption; the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance; and the 2001 Supplementary Protocol Amending the Protocol on the Establishment of an ECOWAS Brown Card Relating to Motor Vehicle Third Party Liability Insurance. It has to be borne in mind though, that there are several protocols and conventions that had been ratified by the government of Ghana since the establishment of the ECOWAS in 1975 without parliamentary deliberation or legislation though the parliamentary function was performed by defined bodies in the proclamations which established these regimes. This condition is attributable to the military interregna between 1972 to 1979 and also 1981 to 1992. Some of these include the Treaty establishing the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS); General Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the ECOWAS(ratified by Ghana in 1979); Protocol on Non-Aggression(ratified by Ghana in 1979); Supplementary Protocol amending the Definition of the Concept of Products Originating from Member States(ratified by Ghana in 1985); Supplementary Protocol amending Article 4 of the ECOWAS Treaty Relating to Community Institutions(ratified by Ghana in 1985); Protocol on the Establishment of an ECOWAS Brown Card Relating