Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 92 integration particularly as regards the spread of information is brought to the fore. Thus, Article 61(2c) of the 1993 Treaty identifies the promotion of women's, youth organisations, and professional associations as a means of ensuring mass involvement in the activities of the Community. Similarly, Article 9 of Decision A/Dec.7/12/00 on Adopting A New ECOWAS Information And Communication Policy 116 calls for the active involvement of civil society and personalities from various sectors(labour unions, universities, sports organisations, religious bodies, youth, women movements) in the integration process. The decision further calls on Member States to encourage student exchange programmes in order to inculcate the Community spirit among youths and schoolchildren. The emphasis on the youth stems from the recognition of the youth as a key dynamic, not just in the process of seeking solution 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 will be involved in the efforts at regional integration will, to a large extent, determine the sustainability of regional integration programmes. It is therefore essential that the participation of the youth in regional integration is encouraged. Youth participation is viewed as the ability of young people to be meaningfully involved in and influence processes, decisions and activities that affect their lives; to make choices and informed decisions and take action based on those decisions; and to accept responsibility for the consequences. The importance of youth participation in the achievement of the objectives of ECOWAS was emphasised by Adrienne DIOP, Commissioner for Human Development and Gender in a speech delivered on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, at the meeting of Ministers in Charge of Youth and Sports of ECOWAS Member States held in Cotonou on 25 July 2008. She observed thus: Youth in our region constitute the major part of our Community's population. They build high hopes on the programmes and projects that we implement to prepare them for their role as adults. The youth of our region are the future generation of workers, entrepreneurs, family heads and community or national leaders. We should prepare them to assume the responsibilities that would be theirs in an increasingly competitive world. This means that our responsibility at the Commission will be to develop realistic regional policies while Member States' responsibility will be their effective implementation. This notwithstanding, it can be observed from a cursory glance, that the situation of the youth and youth organisations in West Africa has been one of marginalisation 116 Article 9 titled“Role of Youth, Women and Civil Society”