Representatives from Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal validated the draft Memorandum of Understanding during a four-day workshop in Banjul.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and Ipieca organised the meeting with the Gambia Maritime Authority under the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa Project.
The workshop brought together 21 officials from maritime, environmental and disaster-management authorities across the participating countries.
The initiative responds to growing pollution risks associated with increasing maritime traffic and offshore oil and gas operations in the region.
The draft agreement establishes mechanisms for cooperation during normal conditions and mutual assistance when pollution emergencies occur.
Discussions focused on harmonising national regulations, strengthening cooperation, providing assistance during incidents and establishing governance arrangements for the regional framework.
Participants technically validated all articles of the draft agreement and the proposed structure of supporting annexes.
The document will now undergo further consolidation before being translated into French and Portuguese.
The signature process is expected to begin in 2027.
Once finalised, the agreement will cover more than 1.2 million square kilometres of shared West African waters.
The participating countries said a coordinated arrangement would strengthen preparedness and improve responses to incidents involving oil and hazardous substances.
The countries requested continued technical support from IMO, Ipieca and the regional project to complete and implement the agreement.
The organisation said cooperation would help authorities share resources, technical expertise and response capacity during emergencies that exceeded the capabilities of an individual country.
The initiative supports implementation of the 1990 International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation.
The framework also complements the Abidjan Convention and the associated Emergency Protocol governing cooperation on marine and coastal environmental protection in West and Central Africa.
The IMO said regional coordination, compatible national legislation and clear mutual-assistance procedures would be essential to making the eventual agreement operational.
–IMO/ChannelAfrica–
Image: Reuters
