South Africa hosts the Abidjan Convention Bureau meeting
South Africa, through the Department of Environmental Affairs will host the Abidjan Convention Bureau meeting in Cape Town on 27 and 28 January 2014. The Bureau meeting is held in preparation for the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Abidjan Convention which will also be held in Cape Town from 17 to 21 March 2014.
Abidjan Convention Bureau is a high level body established under the Abidjan Convention to monitor and provide political as well as technical guidance to the Convention’ Secretariat on the implementation of decisions made by the contracting parties. It is also responsible for the hosting of the Convention meetings such as the forthcoming COP11. The Bureau consists of members of the contracting parties, with the Congo Brazzaville as the Chair; South Africa as first Vice Chair; Benin as second Vice Chair; Gambia as first Rapporteur and Cameroon as the second Rapporteur.
The Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, will lead South Africa’s delegation to the Bureau meeting, which will review the implementation of commitments made under the Convention, and to consider progress in the organisation of the regular meeting of Contracting Parties under the Convention. The meeting will also review the financunial report for the year 2013. It will also deliberate on the programme of work and budget for the year 2014.
The Abidjan Convention is about 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 associated protocol of the Abidjan Convention concerning Cooperation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency and the associated Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas of the West and Central African Region was adopted by 11 countries at a Conference in Abidjan in March 1981. The Convention and Protocol entered into force on 5 August 1984, after the deposit of the 6th instrument of ratification.
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