The Secretariat for the Convention for the Protection Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern Africa Region (Nairobi Convention) organised the Extra-ordinary Meeting oh the WIO-LaB Steering Committee that was be held on 7 December 2009, back-to-back with the Nairobi Convention Focal Points Forum on 8 to 9 December 2009 at the Leopard Beach Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya.

The WIO-LaB Steering Committee and Focal Point meetings are part of the preparatory process towards the Special COP6 and the Special Conference of Plenipotentiaries in line with Article 4 Paragraph 2 and Article 18 of the Nairobi Convention.

Recalling decision CP5/4 of the COP5 meeting held in November 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa Contracting Parties agreed to convene a Conference of Plenipotentiaries to negotiate and adopt the LBSA Protocol. Similarly, in decision CP5/1 of the same meeting, Contracting Parties called for the expedited negotiation and finalization of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) as an important mechanism for the implementation of the LBSA Protocol.

The Extra-ordinary Meeting oh the WIO-LaB Steering Committee discussed and adopted the final draft of the SAP and its implementation strategy and recommended draft decisions on the SAP for the Special COP6 meetings.

The Focal Points Forum discussed and adopted the agenda and strategy leading to the Special 6th Conference of Parties meeting as well as the Special Conference of Plenipotentiaries. More..