West and central Africa maritime meeting

The heads of maritime administrations of French-speaking west and central African countries have gathered in Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire, for their first regional meeting (9-10 July), which is being
facilitated by IMO and hosted by the Ports and Maritime Affairs of Cote d'Ivoire.
Opening the meeting, Mr Daniel Duncan, Prime Minister of Cote d' Ivoire, reiterated the need for maritime administrations in the region to redouble their efforts in taking full advantage of the resources of their maritime domain for the economic benefits of the region.

 The meeting aims to create a forum for the exchange and sharing of experiences and ideas by decision makers of the maritime sector in the region and to the heads of Maritime Administrations on the current work of IMO with a view to encouraging and enhancing their involvement and participation. Some of the issues scheduled for discussion include the forthcoming IMO Mandatory Audit Scheme, Country Maritime Profiles, the African Union 2050 AIM Strategy and the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme. Nicolaos Charalambous, IMO's Director, Technical Cooperation Division, William Azuh, Head, Africa Section, and Honorat Hoba, Regional Coordinator for the region, are participating in the meeting.