South Africa to host 11th Conference of Parties (COP11) to the Abidjan Convention
South Africa is set to host the 11th biennial Conference of Parties (COP11) to the Abidjan Convention from 17 to 21 March 2014, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, under the theme - Promoting Blue Growth in Africa: Towards Sustainable Management of Marine Resources.
The conference will mark another milestone in the revitalisation process of the Convention that encompasses 22 coastal nations of the Western, Central and Southern Africa.
The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Honourable Edna Molewa, MP, will lead South Africa’s delegation to the five-day conference which brings together ministers of environment of the 22 nations that are covered by the Convention for 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.
The Abidjan Convention is held every two years to review implementation of decisions taken in past meetings, examine present challenges and actions needed, and chart the way forward.
This year’s conference will, therefore, review activities and decisions which were to be executed during the 2012/2013 period, the budget for the 2014/2015 and rule on major action needed to implement the Convention and its Action Plan. It will also determine how parties can embrace the “Blue Growth” concept as a way of sustainably managing marine and coastal resources.
The COP11 conference will take place in two parts: the marine environment experts segment from 17 - 20 March and the ministerial segment which starts from 20 to 21 March 2014. The marine environment experts segment will deliberate on the various issues of the agenda, including the proposed decisions to be adopted by the meeting.
The experts segment will also enable the environment ministers to take informed political decisions for activity to be undertaken during the next biennium.
The formal procession of the Convention will be preceded by a workshop on the theme of the conference, "Promoting Blue Growth in Africa: Towards Sustainable Management of Marine Resources," which will be held on Sunday 16 March 2014. The workshop will also be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and will serve as a first meeting of the Abidjan Convention’s Ad Hoc Science and Technology Committee.
For more information on the Abidjan Convention and COP11, visit: http://habidjanconvention.org/ and https://cop11.abidjanconvention.org
Members of the media are invited to attend the opening session of the conference on Monday, 17 March 2014.
Dates: 17 - 21 March 2014
Time: All sessions will start at 9h00 everyday
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre
NB: All local and foreign members of the media interested in attending the conference are requested to RSVP with the following details by no later than Friday 28 February 2014 14h00.
- Full names and surname
- Initials
- ID number (South Africans)
- Title
- Organisation
- Function
- Gender
- Nationality
- Passport number (Only for foreign nationals)
- Date of birth (compulsory for passport applicants)
- Country of issue (compulsory for passport applicants)
- Passport expiry date (compulsory for passport applicants)
- Mobile
- Address
To RSVP:
Tshego Letshwiti
Cell: 076 307 9634
Tel: 021 405 9439
Email: TLetshwiti@environment.gov.za
Sivuyile Ngaba
Cell: 083 958 4663
Tel: 021 441 2788
Email: SNgaba@environment.gov.za
For media queries:
Zolile Nqayi
Spokesperson for Department of Environmental Affairs
Cell: 082 898 6483
Tel: ZNqayi@environment.gov.za
Abou Bamba
Regional Coordinator: Abidjan Convention/UNEP
Tel: +225 027 18781
Email: abou.bamba@unep.org
