During the COP 7 of the Abidjan Convention, which was held in Gabon in March 2005, the Republic of South Africa offered to host the COP 8 of the Abidjan Convention alongside the COP 5 of the Nairobi Convention in parallel sessions. This offer was discussed and supported in a meeting of the focal points of the Nairobi Convention, held in Tanzania in November 2005.

The Joint COPs will be organised in collaboration with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), under the umbrella of the African Union. The collaboration with NEPAD builds on an agreement reached during the launch of the Interim Secretariat of NEPAD (SINEPAD) in Dakar in November 2002. The participating countries requested that the Joint Implementation Mechanism of the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions should become a central instrument in the implementation of the environmental component of NEPAD, especially with regards to the marine and coastal environment.

The Conferences will take place in Johannesburg and will be organized in segments: Stakeholder workshops on 5th November; Heads of Delegation meetings on 7th November; and a Joint meeting of the Heads of Delegations for both the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions and NEPAD on 8th November.

The COPs will be preceded by the WIO-LaB project steering committee meeting on the 5th November. On the margins of the Joint COPs, the WIO-C will be formally launched. There will also be two side events, scheduled for the 6th and 7th November: South-South Cooperation by UNEP DEWA; and the implementation of the Shelf Programme on the delineation of the continental shelf by Grid Arendal.

Introduction to the Joint COP.....