(Washington, DC)
Posted to the web October 26, 2006 Today GoodWorks International, LLC announced the appointment of Carlton A. Masters as the first Special Envoy of ECOWAS on African Diasporan Relations. Ambassador Masters serves as President and CEO of the Atlanta-based international consulting firm.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional organization of 15 West African nations formed in 1975. The main objective of ECOWAS is to achieve economic integration and shared development so as to form a unified economic zone in West Africa. In recent years, the scope was enlarged to include socio-political interactions and mutual development in related spheres.
ECOWAS also has been the leading force in conflict prevention, resolution and peacekeeping in the West African sub-region, including major peacekeeping operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau and Cote D'Ivoire.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, stated: I believe we at ECOWAS could not have found a better person than Carl Masters to serve as Special Envoy on Diasporan Relations.
Carl has exhibited total and unalloyed commitment and dedication to the African continent. He has spent all his adult life building bridges of understanding between North America, the Caribbean and the African continent. In his new role, we are confident he will promote West Africa.
He will continue to build even more bridges of cooperation and particularly work to strengthen the relations between the ECOWAS region and the African Disapora.
Before establishing GoodWorks, Ambassador Masters enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in international banking. He held executive positions with the Bank of Montreal in financial centers across North America, Europe and the Caribbean, and was appointed Agent General and Deputy Minister of Trade to the United States on behalf of the Government of Ontario, Canada.
Long active in African affairs, Ambassador Masters currently is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is active on the boards of the Africa-America Institute, the Corporate Council on Africa and the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. He is also co-chair of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit.
The Ambassador, who is originally from Jamaica, is married to Hope Masters and has five children.
This is a unique honor and privilege for me and for GoodWorks International, said Ambassador Masters. For over twenty-five years, I have devoted my energies to the economic, social and political development of a continent that has yet to realize its' true potential.
I fully intend to use this appointment to not only bring global attention to Africa's needs, but also to strengthen relations between the United States and the 15 African nations that comprise ECOWAS.
U.S.
Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), Ranking Minority Member of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations stated: I am pleased to learn of Carl's appointment as Special Envoy of ECOWAS on African Diasporan Relations.
He is truly committed to advancing Africa's agenda in the global community. I am especially looking forward to working with him to strengthen the relations of ECOWAS countries on Capitol Hill.
Founded in 1996, GoodWorks International fosters long-term economic development in Africa and the Caribbean by creating successful business partnerships between private sector corporations and decision-makers in those emerging markets.
In addition to Atlanta, the firm has offices in Washington, DC and New York, NY. By the beginning of 2007, the firm will also have offices in eight African countries: Nigeria, Rwanda, Angola, Cote D'Ivoire, Tanzania, Ghana, Chad and Benin. The Chairman of GoodWorks International is former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young.
Austin R. Cooper, Jr.
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