1. The second Conference of Ministers for the Benguela Current Commission was held at Lagoon Beach Hotel, Milnerton, Cape Town on 2 September 2010. It was hosted by the South African Minister of Environment, Honourable Buyelwa Sonjica, who is currently chairing the commission. The following Ministers and Deputy Ministers attended the conference:
- Honourable Victoria De Barros Neto, Secretary of State for Fisheries, Angola
- Honourable Syanga K Samuel Abilio, Deputy Minister of Environment, Angola
- Honourable Anibal Octavio Da Silva, Deputy Minister of Petroleum, Angola
- Honourable Bernhard Esau, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia
- Honourable Isak Katali, Minister of Mines and Energy, Namibia
- Honourable Erkki Nghimtina, Minister of Works and Transport, Namibia
- Honourable Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, South Africa
- Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
2. Senior officials and members of the Management Board from BCC Member States attended the meeting, as well as the officials of BCC Secretariat.
3. H.E. Kari Egge, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development
Programme, Namibia, and Ms Inger Tveit, First Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy attended the meeting as well.
4. The objective of the meeting was to review progress made in the implementation of the key decisions taken at the first Ministerial Conference Meeting, deliberate on the implementation of programmes, and provide strategic, high-level policy guidance to the commission.
Decisions and resolutions of the ministerial conference
5. Ministers agreed that the BCC should be protected and promoted as an asset. The people of the region should participate and benefit from the regional cooperation promoted by the programme as it responds to challenges of poverty and underdevelopment. It should be supported by the best possible scientific data and information and be based on an ecosystem management approach.
6. Noting the commencement of the BCC Convention development process, Minister confirmed the importance of this process. They committed to provide necessary support, including making available from their Governments legal, technical, managerial and scientific experts to fully participate in the negotiation process and ensure that key stakeholders identified during the BCLME programme also participate. The ministers further urged negotiators to report progress within 12 months’ time and conclude the Convention text timeously so that there will be sufficient time for ratification not later than 31 December 2012.
7. Ministers noted that the BCC was incorporated under Namibian law as an “Association not for gain”; and endorsed the steps taken by the management board to attain legal personality. The ministers decided that administrative and financial responsibilities would be reviewed after the receipt of reports prepared within two months by the BCC Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ministers recognised the good work carried out by UNDP, and recommended that there be future cooperation between BCC and UNDP. The two institutions should finalise the contracting of the remaining science projects without delay.
8. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to mainstream sectors other than fisheries, including minerals, oil and gas, marine pollution, law, governance and socio-economics.
9. Ministers noted that a permanent office for the Secretariat had been made available by the Government of Namibia in Swakopmund, Henties Bay or Walvis Bay. The ministers decided that it should be based in Swakopmund.
10. Ministers decided that the BCC should be promoted at international forum; and encouraged the Secretariat to continue mobilising resources to further the objectives of the commission.
11. Ministers strongly supported capacity building and training programmes thus far developed by the BCC.
12. Ministers strongly supported the development of the BCC Science Programme including the contracting of scientific projects. Ministers further agreed to direct national institutions to share data relevant to BCC while a regional data policy is being formalised.
13. Ministers noted with gratitude the support of the SAP-IMP project funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) to the BCC.
14. Ministers decided that Transport Ministers should become members of the BCC.
15. Ministers agreed that there needs to be a resource mobilisation strategy to realise a long-term vision for the future of the BCC.
16. Ministers agreed to have an extraordinary meeting on 20 January 2011 in Johannesburg to review the BCC/UNDP reports.
17. During the meeting in Johannesburg, a date and venue for the next ordinary meeting will be decided upon. Signed and issued in Cape Town, South Africa on 2September 2010, in two originals, in English and Portuguese languages, all texts being equally authentic.
