April, 2008
Edition
h t t p : / / w w w . g c l m e . o r go r g
ANGOLA - BENIN - CAMEROON - CONGO - CÔTE D'IVOIRE - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - GABON - GHANA - GUINEA - GUINEA BISSAU - LIBERIA - NIGERIA - SAO TOME & PRINCIPE - SIERRA LEONE - TOGO
The UNIDO Director General Visits
the GCLME RCU, Accra, Ghana
On 24 April, the staff of IGCC Secretariat had the
honour of the presence of the Director General of
UNIDO, H.E. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella. He was
accompanied by Mr. Akmel Akpa,Director, Regional
and Field Operations, Dr. Wilfried Lütkenhorst, Chief
of Cabinet and Director for Organizational Strategy
and Learning, Mr. Felix Ugbor, Chief, Africa
Programme and the UNIDO Representative in Ghana,
Mr. Antonios Levissianos.
Dr Yumkella, UNIDO DG and Dr. Abe, Officer In Charge,
GCLME Regional Coordination Unit (RCU), viewing publi-
cations on project modules.
Dr. Yumkella was in Accra, Ghana to participate in the 12th
Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade And
Development (UNCTAD), 20 - 25 April 2008.
At IGCC Executive Secretariat, Dr. Yunkella was briefed on
activities, achievements and perspectives of the GCLME Project
by Dr. Jacques Abe, the Officer-in-Charge of the GCLME
Regional Coordination Unit (RCU).
A satisfied DG after the visit of the display panels,
showcasing the project and its components.
Happy moments : Group photograph of the Director General
Dr. Yumkella signing the IGCC Visitors' Book .
and his team with the staff of the GCLME RCU.
1, Akosombo Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra
Tel : 021 781 225 / Fax : 021 781 226
E-mail : gclme@gclme.org - PMB CT 324 Accra, Ghanao r g
I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 2
April, 2008
Joint UNIDO-IMO Regional Workshop on The Implementation of the MARPOL
Convention. GCLME RCU, Accra, Ghana, 29 April - 02 May, 2008
A Regional Workshop jointly organized by UNIDO and
IMO on the implementation of the MARPOL Convention
with focus on the revised Annex II and the amended IBC
Code was held at the Executive Secretariat of the IGCC
in Accra, April 29 - May 02, 2008.
The Workshop brought together, participants from Benin,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Gabon,
Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Nigeria,
Sao Tome e Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo to
discuss the provisions of Annexes I and II of MARPOL and
the IBC Code.
The MARPOL Convention is the main international
convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine
The High Table at the Opening Ceremony : (L-R) Capt. Mrs. Georgina
environment by ships from operational or accidental
Jopap, UNDP Ghana, Dr. Jacques Abe, Officer in Charge, GCLME
causes. It is a combination of two treaties adopted in 1973
RCU, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Hon. Minister for
and 1978 respectively and updated by amendments through
Harbours and Railways, Ghana, Mr. Peter Azumah, Director Gen-
the years.
eral, Ghana Maritime Authority (Chair of the ceremony) and Mr.
Michael Luguje, IMO Regional Coordinator for WACAF (English
Speaking)
The Workshop was officially opened by
(L-R): Ms. Yvonne Clinton -
the Honourable Minister for Harbours
Liberia, Ms. Sylvia Glokpor
and Railways of Ghana, Prof. Christopher
- Shell Togo, Mr. Meba T.
Ameyaw-Akumfi, under the
Pagnibam and Mr. Souho
Chairmanship of the Director General,
Koufaltou - Togo.
Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr. Peter
Azumah.
UNDP was represented at the opening
ceremony by Captain Georgina Jopap
while IMO was represented by Mr.
Michael Luguje, IMO Reg. Coord. for
West and Central Africa (Anglophone) respectively.
In his Keynote Address, Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi
commended UNIDO and IMO for the initiative to
organize such a workshop. He informed the audience
that Ghana has already ratified annexes I and II dealing
with oil and liquid substances and has set measures to
ensure effective implementation of the MARPOL
Convention. He also indicated that the Government
of Ghana is in the process of considering the ratification
of annexes III to VI of MARPOL.
A view of the Conference Hall during
a presentation session.
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 8
I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 3
April, 2008
The Workshop's conclusion/recommendations included:
Implementation of IMO Instruments :
- Focus on the implementation of existing conventions
before introcdution of new legislation
- Encourage and assist the countries to ratify the
Convention and to enact its requirements and its
Annexes, together with those of the IBC Code, into
their domestic legislation, and,
- Establish (IMO) a regional mechanism to create
awareness on the implementation of Annexes I and II of
MARPOL and the IBC Code.
Certificates of Participation were awarded to all participants.
Here, Sir Philip Lukuley, Director, Maritime Authority, Sierra
Leone receives his from the Consultants.
Regional Cooperation :
- Establish national committees, comprising stakeholders of the maritime
and enviroment sectors (administration, authorities, agencies and
companies).
- Involve the Maritme Organization for West and Central Africa
(MOWCA) as interface between the national committees.
- Involve LMEs as regional steering committees to regularly review
progress made by individual countries in implementation of the
convention and offer assistance where necessary.
Mr. Gomis Diedhiou from Maritime Authority,
Training :
Senegal receives his certificate from Mr. Michael
Luguje in presence of Dr. Jacques Abe. CD-Roms
- Provide training and encourage national capacity building to enable states containing Workshop's proceedings were also dis-
to implement the Convention, its Annexes and the International Code
tributed to participants. Ms. Aline Capela
for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Fernandes De Castro from Sao Tome (left) opens
Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code)
her CD case, watched by Mr. Nuno Ribeiro from
Cape Verde.
- Consider the option (by IMO) of creating fellowships targeting
stakeholders of maritime regulation in developing countries.
Group photograh of the Minister with participants.
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 8
I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 4
April, 2008
Stakeholders Meeting for the
Dr. Jacques Abe, Officer in Charge, GCLME Regional
Coordination Untit (RCU) represented the GCLME Project
Revitalization of the Abidjan Convention
at the Stakeholders Meeting for the Revitalization of the Abidjan
Dakar, Senegal, 1-3 April, 2008
Convention held in Dakar, Senegal, 1-3 April, 2008.
The Meeting convened by UNEP and IUCN
had two key points as Agenda :
A.
The revitalization of the Abidjan Convention.
B.
The Second Draft Protocol to The Abidjan
Convention concerning Land-Based Sources
And Activities (LBS/A) in the West and
Central African Region
After discussing at length the agenda , the
Meeting yielded recommendations to be
submitted for adoption, to the Special Session
of Contracting Parties to be held back to back
with the African Ministerial Conference on
Environment (AMCEN).in Johannesburg,
South Africa in June, 2008.
Group picture
Team from the Regional Activity Center for
Fisheries Resources Tours GCLME Central
African Countries, 26 April - 02 May, 2008
As a follow-up of the Subregional Workshop on the management
of shared stock of Sardinella held in Luanda, Angola, a team from
the GCLME Regional Activity Center for Fisheries Resources
carried a field mission to Congo, Congo DR and Gabon from 26
April to 02 May, 2008.
Stay tunned! Details in our next edition.
Group Photo in Gabon : The team from the GCLME Regional
Activity Center for Fisheries Resources with officials of the
Fisheries Department, Gabon.
Upcoming Events
13 - 16 May, 2008:
Meeting of the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine
Environmental Protection (GESAMP). Ken Sherman Conference Hall, GCLME
RCU, Accra, Ghana
26 - 31 May, 2008:
UNEP/UNDOALOS/UNESCO National training for Ghana to be held at the
Ken Sherman Conference Hall, GCLME RCU, Accra, Ghana, on the theme :
"Improve Municipal Wastewater Management in Coastal Cities"
Edited by : K e l e c h i I h e m e j e Layout by : J o s h u a O k e c h u k u N d u b u i s i