Introduction

Marine and coastal environments, and the goods and services they provide, are under increasing pressure from unsustainable consumption and production patterns as well as ineffective management practices in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The ecosystems health and the sustainability of the services that coasts and oceans provide are increasingly being compromised by the impacts of pollution, resource exploitation and physical alteration and degradation of habitats.

In response to these challenges, UNEP initiated a Regional Seas Programme that facilitated the development of two regional conventions, namely: Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment in the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention - 1981); and the Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention - 1985). By 2006, 14 countries out of 22 had signed, acceded to, or ratified the Abidjan Convention, while the Nairobi Convention had received 100% ratification. The two Conventions together cover thirty-one coastal states, including island states in the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

The Joint Secretariat for the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions

The two Conventions are coordinated by a Joint Secretariat hosted by UNEP under the Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI). The Joint Secretariat is supported by Regional Coordinating Units in Seychelles and Cote d'Ivoire, a forum of national focal points, and thematic and technical task forces.

The Secretariat also works closely with collaborating partners such as regional NGOs and various national and research institutions. It has recently successfully catalysed the establishment of the "Consortium for Conservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean" (WIO-C). This is a consortium between major NGOs in the Western Indian Ocean which have developed marine programmes. The aim is to enhance collaboration, exchange of information and synergy towards a joint programmatic approach in addressing marine and coastal environmental issue in the region.

Forum of Focal Points

The Ministers of Environment are represented in the technical meetings of the Convention by senior government officers in a forum referred to as the Forum of Focal Points. The Forum provides overarching policy direction and coordination to the programmes implemented by the Convention secretariat.

Taskforces Working Groups

Taskforces and Working Groups under the Nairobi Convention provide a means for collaboration and cooperation between partners in addressing urgent technical issues within the scope of the Convention. The Ad Hoc Legal and Technical Working Group; the Coral Reef Task Force, the Group of Experts for Marine Protected Areas in Eastern Africa (GEMPA-EA); and the Physical Alteration and Destruction of Habitats (PADH) taskforce provide technical inputs to all organs of the Nairobi Convention.

The Conventions - What do they offer?

The Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions provide a framework for regional cooperation in the protection, management and development of the marine and coastal environment, for sustainable socioeconomic growth and prosperity :-

• Offers a legal framework and coordinates the efforts of the countries of the region to plan and develop programmes that strengthen their capacity to protect, manage and develop their coastal and marine environment sustainably
• Provides a forum for inter-governmental discussions that lead to better understanding of regional environmental problems and the strategies needed to address them
• Develops and implements regional programmes and projects that address critical national and trans-boundary issues
• Promotes the sharing of information and experiences amongst countries in the WIO region and with the rest of the world and also disseminates relevant information within and outside the region through an extensive database Nairobi Convention clearinghouse and Information System, and through satellite national and regional databases. More...