Member States of the Abidjan Convention unanimously passed a resolution on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) at the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP13). The COP was themed Ocean Governance: challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of Africa and was held online between 13 and 15 December 2021.
Dr. Carole Durussel of IASS presented an update of the STRONG High Seas project at the 15th General Assembly of the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS; Permanent Commission for the South Pacific) on 18 January 2022.
Read more STRONG High Seas project update presented at the 2022 CPPS General Assembly
On 16-17 November 2021, the Secretariat of the Abidjan Convention and the STRONG High Seas project organised the fourth Dialogue Workshop in the Southeast Atlantic region. The workshop brought together more than 50 participants from national governments as well as global and regional organisations, regional scientific institutions, academia, the private sector and NGOs. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop was held online.
The STRONG High Seas project was invited to take part in the Forum IV “Harnessing the Potential of Oceans for Sustainable Development and Peace” on November 30, 2021 as part of the Biennale of Luanda 2021 – “Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace” organized in partnership between UNESCO, the Government of Angola and the African Union.
Many mysteries lie beneath the ocean waters, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). These oceanic regions, which represent 50% of the Earth’s surface, have been little explored due to their vast extent and depth.
With the aim to provide a more detailed insight in biodiversity and its threats in ABNJ a Facebook Live event was held on October 6, 2021, as part of the outreach strategy of the STRONG High Seas project in the South East Pacific region.
The Marine Regions Forum Online Workshop ‘Towards a Marine Regions Forum Conference in the Western Indian Ocean’ took place on Monday, 29th of November 2021.
A news report of the workshop can be found here and a comprehensive workshop summary will be available soon.
Read more Online workshop: Towards a Marine Regions Forum in the Western Indian Ocean
Following the online expert workshop entitled “Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of Human Activities in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) in Western Africa” of 5 and 6 May 2021, STRONG High Seas project partner IDDRI published a new report on options to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of human activities in the Southeast Atlantic region (between Mauritania and South Africa). Read more New report on Strengthening Monitoring, Control and Surveillance in the Southeast Atlantic
On 5-6 May 2021, STRONG High Seas project partner IDDRI organised a two-day online workshop entitled “Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of Human Activities in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) in Western Africa”. Read more STRONG High Seas Expert Workshop on Strengthening Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) in the Southeast Atlantic – May 2021
The STRONG High Seas project has published a new Policy Brief on the Role of Regional Cooperation in Strengthening High Seas Governance.
Read more New Policy Brief on The Role of Regional Cooperation in Strengthening High Seas Governance
The STRONG High Seas project, together with its partners the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS) and the Abidjan Convention Secretariat organised a series of Inter-Regional Dialogues on High Seas Governance in the South Pacific and Africa regions. A summary report is available here. Read more Series of inter-regional dialogues on high seas governance in the South Pacific and Africa regions
