To achieve the goals of the Integrated Maritime Strategy, the ECOWAS commission is conducting an interdepartmental meeting to review the draft Action Plan of the EIMS from March 20 to 22, 2024 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The EIMS serves as a comprehensive reference framework for actions to be taken by stakeholders at national and regional levels.
This meeting aims to ensure that the technical departments adopt the SMIC Action Plan for integrated and coordinated implementation in alignment with the ECOWAS Commission’s mission. Participants include various ECOWAS departments, representatives of ECOWAS Regional Fisheries Centers, ECOWAS institutions and agencies, and West African Fisheries Commissions.
The specific objective is to ensure that the Action Plan’s priorities and actions align with the Commission’s Management 4X4 objectives in sectoral policies such as food and nutritional security, marine biodiversity, and the blue economy.
During the opening ceremony, speeches were given by Commodore Richard Maru Shammah, Director of CRESMAO; Mr. Cheikh Toure, Country Director of UNODC in Côte d’Ivoire; and H.E. Mrs. FANTA CISSE, Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Côte d’Ivoire.
Commodore Richard Maru Shammah emphasized the importance of a good adoption and implementation of the Action Plan to address the multilateral challenges facing the maritime sector. Mr. Cheikh Toure highlighted ECOWAS initiatives supported by UNODC, like the EU-funded ECOWAS SWAIMS project, and emphasized the need for cooperation among Member States to ensure peace and stability.
H.E. Mrs. Fanta CISSE stressed the interdisciplinary nature of the maritime sector and the importance of inter-agency cooperation at national and regional levels for effective management and exploitation of the maritime domain.
This Interdepartmental Meeting on the review of the draft action plan of the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy is supported by the ECOWAS-SWAIMS project and partners like the European Union and UNODC.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).