Special Edition, October, 2006
h t t p : / / w w w . g c l m e . o r g
A N G O L A - BENIN - CAMEROON - CONGO - CÔTE D'IVOIRE - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - GABON - GHANA - GUINEA - GUINEA BISSAU - LIBERIA - NIGERIA - SAO TOME & PRINCIPE - SIERRA LEONE - TO G O
H A I L, T H E I G C C !
The Interim Guinea Current Commission was born on 22 September 2006. The occasion was the
First Meeting of the Ministers responsible for the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME)
Project (Abuja Nigeria, 21-22 September 2006)
It started on an auspicious note. The Ministers and development partners led by the Director
General of UNIDO were received at the Presidential Villa in the morning of 21 September by the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The Nigerian President
congratulated them for agreeing in principle to the establishment of a technical Guinea Current
Commission (GCC) that will provide technical backstopping to the implementation of the provi-
sions of International Instruments/Protocols in the areas of marine environmental and living
resources management in their sector of the globe. The President saw the Guinea Current Com-
mission as complementary to the existing political and economic union known as the Gulf of
Chief Host, President Olusegun Obasanjo received
Guinea Commission comprising 8 of the 16 GCLME countries and hinted at the possibility of
the Ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
expanding the membership of the Gulf of Guinea Commission to the 16 countries of the Guinea
Current Large Marine Ecosystem in order to align it with the ecosystem approach.
The President then sent the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Ufot Ekaette, to read his
speech at the opening ceremony and to declare the meeting open.
Thereafter, the Ministers listened to UNIDO's evaluation of the progress in project implementa-
tion. In their individual statements, the Ministers applauded the achievements of the project
towards agreed goals and targets and stressed the necessity to consolidate present and future
achievements through an institutional arrangement that will provide a viable mechanism for the
promotion of regional consultations and joint actions in marine environmental and living re-
sources management.
It was in this positive atmosphere that the Draft Abuja Declaration seeking to create the Interim
Guinea Current Commission (IGCC) was introduced. Due to prior consultations, the debate was
Co-Chairs, Hon. Asamoah Boateng (Ghana)
brief but uplifting. The Abuja Declaration was unanimously adopted. And the IGCC was born! The
and Chief (Mrs) Helen Esuene (Nigeria)
newly created Executive Secretariat was exhorted to work assiduously towards a permanent
steered the Meeting
status by 2009.
In this special edition, we bring you the "sights and sounds" of the meeting including the signing
ceremony as well as scenes from the preceding 3rd Meeting of the Regional Steering Committee.
We also publish in its integrality the Abuja Declaration.
As we laud this achievement, we must remind ourselves of the challenges ahead as the IGCC
makes its transition to a permanent Guinea Current Commission (GCC). If the will and enthusi-
asm that underscored the Abuja Meeting is any indicator, the GCC can be said to be at our finger
tips. Welcome IGCC !
Prof Chidi IBE
Regional Director, GCLME
and
UNIDO DG, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella
Executive Secretary, IGCC
gave an inspirational speech at the
Opening Ceremony
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Special Edition October, 2006
The Table of Honour at the Opening Ceremony. L-R, FAO ADG, UNDP Res. Rep., Doyen of
Diplomatic Corps, Hon. A. Boateng, Dr. K. Yumkella, Obong U. Ekaette, Chief H. Esuene,
Mme. G. Koko, Mr. H. Djombo and Perm. Sec, MoE Nigeria. In the foreground, Prof. Ibe
GCLME Regional Director, Prof. Chidi Ibe accompanying
Chief Mrs Esuene to the Conference venue
Time for interaction. Chief Sam Adekunle welcoming
Observing a minute silence in honour of Nigeria's fallen
HE. Mr. Oloche A. Edache of FAO. Behind them is
Generals. L-R, Dr. A. Duda (GEF), Dr. C. Ukwe (UNIDO),
Guinea Bissau's Environment Minister. To Mr. Edache's
Prof C. Ibe(GCLME), Chief H. Esuene, Chief S. Adekunle,
right are Ms. Victoria de Barros Neto and Mr David
Dr. A. Ndiaye (UNDP) and Dr. A. Datta (UNEP/GPA).
Njiki Njiki, Executive Secretary, SINEPAD/Env
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 6
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Special Edition October, 2006
THE ABUJA DECLARATION
SIGNING CEREMONY
PREAMBLE
We, the Ministers of Environment of Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria,
Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo and the Ministers of Fisheries of Angola, Ghana and
Sierra Leone, gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, 21 22 September, 2006 on the occasion of
the First Meeting of Ministers responsible for the implementation of the Guinea Current
Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) Project:
- Conscious of the fundamental importance of the health of the Guinea Current
L-R, HE. Victoria de Barros Neto, HE. Graciano
Large Marine Ecosystem, including its coastal areas and contiguous drainage basins
Domingo (Angola) and HE. Jean-Pierre
to the well being of the coastal populations, the economies and food security of the
Babatunde (Benin)
coastal states and the socio-cultural life of the Guinea Current Region;
- Noting the deteriorating state of the coastal and marine environment in the GCLME
Sub-Region caused by severe depletion of shared resources and the ensuing loss of
biodiversity, pollution from land and sea-based activities, the physical destruction of
sensitive habitats including the effects of coastal erosion, etc. ;
- Aware of the direct correlation between ecological degradation and escalating poverty,
galloping food insecurity and deteriorating health of our coastal populations;
- Noting the trans-boundary nature of the environmental and resource management
issues/ problems and reaffirming our commitment to resolving the challenges arising
from the identified issues/problems at both national and sub-regional levels, based
on the Large Marine Ecosystem Approach which seeks to create an ecosystem-wide
assessment and management framework for the sustainable use of living and non-
HE. Pierre Hele (Cameroon)
living resources;
- Recognizing the imperative of achieving sustainable development through, inter
alia:
o Integration of environmental concerns in planning, accounting and budgeting
processes;
o Capacity building, accentuated stakeholders' participation, public awareness
and outreach campaigns;
o Management of trans-boundary water bodies and the living resources
therein, land, forests and biodiversity conservation;
o Development of environmental information management and decision
support systems and the promotion of information and data exchange;
HE. Henry Djombo (Congo)
- Further recognizing the need to sustain these activities through an institutionalized
permanent regional body that incorporates all key actors;
- Cognisant that a Permanent Regional Commission is an appropriate approach to
ensure sustainability and effective implementation of the Abidjan Convention (1981)
and the Coastal and Marine Environment component of the New Partnership for
African Development (NEPAD) Environmental Action Plan, as well as achieving
internationally agreed goals and targets for the protection of coastal and marine
environment including those associated with the Global Programme of Action on
Land Based Activities (GPA), Millennium Development Goals and World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD) (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation);
- Fully conscious that negotiations for a regional Commission will require considerable
time and recalling that the provisions of paragraph 37 of the approved Guinea
Current LME Project Document calls for the immediate creation of an Interim
HE. Mme. Georgette Koko (Gabon) and her DG
(Env.) Dr. Massard K. Takaga
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 6
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Special Edition October, 2006
Guinea Current Commission (IGCC) prior to the negotiation leading to the
SIGNING CEREMONY
establishment of the Permanent Regional Commission;
- Recalling the Accra Ministerial Declaration (10 July, 1998) by the Environment
Ministers of the Pilot Phase countries which endorsed a regional approach to the
Environmentally Sustainable Development of the Coastal and Marine Environment
of the West and Central Africa;
- Further recalling Decision II of the Brazzaville Declaration (26 May, 2006) of the
African Ministerial Conference on Environment which calls on African Governments
to support the LME Projects in Africa as tools for revitalization and successful
implementation of both the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions (1981 and 1985
respectively);
- Acknowledging the remarkable progress made by the project since its inception in
January 2005, in addressing the identified priority environmental and living resource
HE. Asamoah Boateng (Ghana) and
management issues/problems and in particular in strengthening regional coordination
HE. Chief Mrs. Helen Esuene (Nigeria)
mechanisms for consultation and joint actions;
- Noting with appreciation the contributions of Global Environment Facility (GEF),
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO),
United States-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US-NOAA), New
Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Food and Agricultural Organisation
(FAO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Inter Governmental Oceanic
Commission of the United Nations Education and Scientific Commission (IOC-
UNESCO), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other international and national
Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), as well as other stakeholders including the
Private Sector to the positive evolution of the project towards its defined objectives
and goals;
HE. Mamoudou Keita (Guinea) with GCLME
DECISION
Programme Assistant, Théophile Richard.
Do hereby agree
1. To institutionalize regional cooperation by the creation of a technical Interim
Guinea Current Commission (IGCC) in the framework of the Abidjan
Convention (1981);
2. That the IGCC will assume leadership and coordination of the GCLME Project
and for this purpose shall be charged with
a) Building capacity for the successful implementation of the Abidjan
Convention including the development of appropriate Protocols, afford
a vantage platform for the execution of the Coastal and Marine
Environment Component of the NEPAD Environmental Action Plan,
HE. Aristides Ocante da Silva (Guinea-Bissau)
the GPA-LBA, the Millennium Development Goals and drive the
attainment of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
Goals in the region;
b) Ensuring the completion of the development and implementation of
the full Strategic Action Programme (SAP) by the end of the project
term in year 2009;
c) Promoting a concerted management of major and emerging
environmental issues/problems as well as the monitoring of specific
situations for the rapid resolution of critical environmental issues in the
GCLME region;
d) Facilitating the negotiation process amongst all the member countries,
parties to the GCLME Project, with a view to establishing a permanent
HE. John Nylander (Liberia) watched by Mr
Commission for the Guinea Current region by the year 2009;
Ben Turtur Donnie, Exec. Dir. EPA -Liberia
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 6
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Special Edition October, 2006
SIGNING CEREMONY
e) Further facilitating negotiations on the institutional and legal framework for
the permanent commission and relevant sub-commissions or sub-organs;
f) Negotiating with countries and other stakeholders and in particular during a
Donor's Conference to be hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB)
by 2008, a financing mechanism for the sustainability of the Permanent
Commission, as part of the implementation of the full SAP for the 16 Countries;
g) To establish a working relationship with the existing Gulf Of Guinea
Commission and other bodies such as the African Union;
3. That the institutional framework for the IGCC shaped after the structure of the
present GCLME project shall comprise 3 key organs, namely
a) The Committee of Ministers,
HE. Dr. Chernor A. Jalloh
(Sierra Leone) with his GCLME
b) The Steering Committee,
National Director, Syril Jusu
c) The Executive Secretariat.
4. That the GCLME Project Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) with its complement
of staff will serve as the Executive Secretariat of the Interim Guinea Current
Commission and that the present Regional Director of the GCLME Project should
be designated to serve as Executive Secretary of the IGCC. The Director General of
UNIDO is invited to take the necessary administrative steps to reflect this decision;
5. That to ensure continuity and cost efficiency, the operations of the IGCC will be
assured largely through GCLME project funds. Furthermore, member countries
shall provide timely material and financial support, beyond those already pledged, for
the expansion and consolidation of activities;
HE. Kouassi Kouamé Nguettia (Côte
d'Ivoire) watched by Cmdt. Dibi,
6. To invite international cooperating partners including specialized donor agencies and
National Programme Assistant
the Private Sector to assist the GCLME countries and the IGCC in addressing
identified and emerging priority environmental issues and their root causes;
7. To call on the GCLME countries and all other stakeholders to pursue with vigour the
implementation of this Declaration.
Adopted in Abuja, this 22nd day of September, 2006
HE. Mr. Leonard Muamba Kanda
(RD. Congo) with Prof. José
Okond'Ahoka President AGCD/ASBL
HE. Mr. Essowe Ouro-Djeri (Togo)
All smiles at the end : L-R. Dr. Chika Ukwe (UNIDO), Mr. M. Oyebo (Director,
watche by his GCLME National
MoE, Nigeria), HE. Oloche A. Edache (FAO), Chief Dr. Bradford Brown (US-
Director, Mr. Bougonou Djeri-Alassani
NOAA) and Prof. Chidi Ibe (IGCC).
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 6
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Special Edition October, 2006
Group photograph following the Official Opening of the Ministerial Level Meeting (Abuja, 21-22 September, 2006).
Group photograph following the Official Opening of the third Regional Steering Committee Meeting (Abuja, 19-20 Sept., 2006).
Editor : 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, ICT Specialist