Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 87 CHAPTER FIVE: THE ROLE OF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS IN ACCELERATING THE PACE OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN WEST AFRICA: THE CASE OF GHANA Philip Attuquayefio* ABSTRACT Article 61(1) of the 1993 Treaty, affirms the undertaking of member states of the ECOWAS to cooperate with a view to mobilising the various sections of the population and ensuring their effective integration and involvement in the social development of the region. In ensuring the above, the youth or youth organisations and their actual or potential role they play or can play in promoting and improving the process of regional integration is brought to the fore. Thus, Article 61(2c) of the 1993 Treaty for instance, identifies the promotion of women and youth organisations and professional associations as a means of ensuring mass involvement in the activities of the Community. The acknowledgment of youth organisations stem from the recognition of the youth as a key dynamic, not just in the process of seeking solutions to developmental challenges countrywide, but in the process of developing regional strategies because decisions made now will have an impact on future leaders. Thus, the extent to which the youth is involved in efforts at sub-regional integration is expected to influence the sustainability of sub-regional integration programmes. Using Ghana as a case study, this paper examines the role of the youth and youth organisations in accelerating the pace of integration in West Africa. It reveals that the youth and youth organisations in Ghana currently play a minimal role insofar as the process of West African integration is concerned. It notes that while a primary reason for the negligible role appears to be the general apathy of the youth on issues of West African integration, to a large extent, the youth have also not been sufficiently integrated into the mainstream of policymaking. The chapter concludes by suggesting some strategies by which the youth and youth organisations can accelerate the process of West African. *Mr. Philip Attuquayefio is Research fellow at Legon Centre for International Affairs, University of Ghana, Legon