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.
• Provides linkages between the countries of the region and global conventions, programmes and networks [such as the Jakarta Mandate], thereby promoting the implementation of the same
• Supports education and training efforts to make possible the full participation of all countries in the protection, development and management of marine and coastal resources;
• Facilitates the periodic assessment by the WIO countries of the state of the coastal and marine environment; and Fundraises for regional initiatives

What are the obligations of the Countries?

The survival and well-being of the Nairobi Convention are largely dependent on the continued commitment and support of the member states. As the owners of the Convention, the member states have a commitment to:

• Translate the requirements of the Convention and its protocols into their relevant national legislations
• Support the planning and implementation of the biennial work programme,
• Make annual contributions to the Eastern African Trust Fund.

Translating ideas/plans into concrete actions

The Nairobi Convention provides a coordination framework to implement activities that make a differnce at the country level. Recent examples include:

• Capacity building and provision of Geographic Information System equipment to Kenya, Tanzania and Comoros and the publication of country Atlases of the Coastal and Marine Environment and regional databases [through the EAF/14 project] for the three countries. The process is on-going;
• Infrastructure development and capacity building in marine parks management in Malindi Marine National Park, Kenya and Dar es Salaam Marine Reserves, Tanzania, through the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN);
• Regional training courses in marine protected areas (MPA) management, in collaboration with WIOMSA and the Coastal Zone Management Centre of the Netherlands;
• Assessment of management effectiveness in selected MPAs in the region, in collaboration with IUCN-EARO.

The programmes supported/coordinated by the Nairobi Convention are on-going, and we invite organizations in the region dealing with coastal and marine issues to become partners to the Convention, for the benefit of a healthier and more sustainable environment for all.

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