The 42nd General Assembly of the Council of Bureaus of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance System opened on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 in Dakar, Senegal. Under the theme “The ECOWAS Brown Card at a decisive turning point: institutional reform, digital transformation, and pursuit of excellence in cross-border automobile insurance”, the meeting brings together some 200 delegates from national bureaus, insurance companies, and regulatory authorities. The discussions focus on improving the governance of the system, generalizing digital certification, and reducing the compensation delays for victims of traffic accidents that occur across national borders.
This 42nd General Assembly marks a new stage for the regional mechanism, with priorities including institutional reform, digital transformation, and operational excellence, in service of solidarity among member states.
Three strategic priorities are being discussed. The first concerns institutional reform, aiming to strengthen governance, clarify the responsibilities of different bodies, improve coordination between system organs, and consolidate relations between national bureaus.
The second priority is digital transformation, which aims to facilitate the issuance and verification of insurance certificates, streamline information exchange between bureaus, enhance file traceability, and expedite the processing of cross-border claims.
In this regard, the generalization of digital certification is one of the main objectives of the meeting. According to Winfred Kwasi Dodzih, the permanent Secretary-General of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance System, the digital Brown Card should be generalized within the community space starting from January 2027.
The third priority focuses on improving service quality, including customer and victim reception, claims processing speed, information reliability, debt collection, dispute resolution, and cooperation between national bureaus. The goal is to make the system more efficient and reduce compensation delays.
More than 1.6 billion CFA francs were paid out in the first half of 2026. The figures presented at the opening of the meeting illustrate the challenges related to assisting victims in the ECOWAS area. “In the first half of 2026, 1,592 claims were reported and 352 cases were paid out for a total amount of over 1.6 billion CFA francs,” said El Hadji Amar Kébé, President of the Senegalese Federation of Insurance Companies (FSSA).
These data highlight the challenges the system still faces, particularly in terms of claims processing and compensation speed. Improving procedures and strengthening cooperation between national bureaus are expected to accelerate claims settlement.
For El Hadji Amar Kébé, the Brown Card goes beyond being a simple insurance mechanism. It is a tool for regional solidarity that supports the free movement of people and goods, facilitates exchanges, and contributes to protecting citizens when crossing borders.
Adapting the system to new regional requirements is essential. After several decades of operation in the service of regional integration, the Brown Card Insurance System must now adapt to an environment marked by digital transformation and increasing expectations for service speed and transparency. Member states also seek stronger mechanisms to support regional cooperation and economic integration.
At the opening of the General Assembly, Habib Dia, President of the ECOWAS Brown Card Council of Bureaus, raised the question of whether the current system is adequately equipped to meet the region’s realities. Are the existing structures and mechanisms sufficiently equipped to meet today’s requirements?
For him, the future of the system necessarily involves institutional reform to modernize governance, clarify responsibilities, strengthen coordination between national bureaus, and enhance the operational capacities of different bodies.
This reform cannot be limited to an administrative exercise. It must result in concrete improvements in procedures and the adoption of governance and professional excellence standards tailored to current needs. It also requires increased cooperation between the Council of Bureaus, the permanent secretariat, national bureaus, and ECOWAS bodies.
Digital transformation and operational excellence are the other two strategic areas: they must evolve the Brown Card from a traditional insurance document to a modern digital device, based on smoother data exchanges and better traceability, as well as more efficient claims management, reduced delays, and accelerated cross-border compensations.
At the end of the meeting, the General Assembly is expected to adopt a “Dakar Action Plan”. This document should define responsibilities, deadlines, and monitoring indicators associated with each of these strategic areas, in order to translate commitments into concrete measures for the entire regional system.
