The
West African city of Abidjan is set to become the epicenter of debate on the
Southeast Atlantic Ocean and adjoining coastal areas, when Conference Of
Parties (COP) to the Abidjan Convention meet for their 12th times, as its
importance and relevance was recently highlighted by the Government of Cote
d`Ivoire and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at a joint press
Conference in Abidjan.
According
to the Convention`s communication Officer Vanessa Ahouadjiro , “The 12th
Conference Of Parties is a major event in the life of the convention that
signals a new start or take off towards the Convention`s revitalization phase”.
In
his address, Anne Desiree Ouloto, Cote d`Ivoire`s Minister of Sanitation,
Environment and Sustainable Development stressed that the Convention is vitally
important to her country and it was in the city of Abidjan that the convention
was signed 36 years ago. “It is here that its headquarters is located but the
themes it refers to are extremely relevant to Cote d`Ivoire and its people”,
she added, highlighting issues such as coastal erosion and land-based
pollution, while encouraging the media to play their part in educating the
public and raising its awareness on issues related to the marine and coastal
environment.
Abou
Bamba, the Executive Secretary of the Convention, whose secretariat is provided
by UN Environment, and the Environment Minister both stressed that the marine
and coastal environment does not only present challenges but also offers
opportunities. Hundreds of kilometers of lagoons in Cote d`Ivoire which are
being cleaned under an ongoing sanitation plan were cited as examples, and
therefore urged the people in general and the young in particular to take
advantage of the economic prospects that the sustainable use of natural coastal
resources can offer.
Ratified
in 1984, the Abidjan Convention (The Convention on Cooperation in the
Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of
the Atlantic Coast of the West, Central and Southern Africa Region) covers a
geographic area comprises of 22 countries, 19 of which have already ratified
it. It constitute a unique institutional referential framework for all
initiatives linked to the protection and conservation of the marine and coastal
environment along Africa`s Atlantic seaboard, and to the sustainable
development of the area`s resources.
A
revitalization process begun in 2008 leading to the transfer of the
Convention`s headquarters from Nairobi to Abidjan, the updating of its
fundamental texts and the strengthening of collaboration with an increasing
number of partners.
The
Conference of Parties, the Conference highest decision-making body, meets every
two to three years. Its 12th edition, under the theme of “Integrated Ocean
management policies in Africa” will bring together participants from the world
over, including scientists and representatives of inter-governmental organizations,
United Nations agencies and environmental NGOs, in addition to the delegations
representing the parties. It will also be attended by representatives of
communities affected by the various phenomena including coastal erosion,
unplanned coastal urbanization and marine pollution.
According
to the communication officer, the Conference will begin with an expert segment
from 27th to 29th March to be followed by the ministerial conference on 30thth
and 31st March 2017.
Parallel
to the official discussions, there will be debates on specific themes such as
aquatic wild meat, coastal erosion, lagoon, oil and gas, clean energy and the
blue economy, as well as exhibition stands in which organizations and
institutions will present their activities to the public.
