Welcome to the Abidjan Convention
Secretariat
|
The Convention for Co-operation in
the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal
Environment of the West and Central African Region
(Abidjan Convention) was adopted in 1981. The Convention
and its protocol concerning cooperating in combating
pollution in cases of emergency came into force in
1984. To date the Convention covers the marine environment,
coastal zones and related inland waters falling within
the jurisdiction of the States of the Western African
Region, from Mauritania to South Africa.
Recognizing the environmental uniqueness
and natural resources richness in fisheries, oil,
gas and minerals of the coastal and marine environment
of the region, the threats and the necessity for action,
the Contracting Parties of the Convention adopted
an Action Plan for the protection and development
of the marine and coastal environment of the region.
Member States have shown commitment
towards the management of coastal and marine resources
as demonstrated by the number of ratifying countries.
Out of the 22 countries in the Abidjan Convention
region 14 have so far ratified, namely Benin, Cameroon,
Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South
Africa and Togo.
The Contracting Parties of the Convention
designated Cote d’Ivoire as the Depository,
and the United Nations Environment Programme as the
Secretariat. The Regional Coordinating Unit is based
in Abidjan. More...
|