The heads of maritime administrations of French-speaking west and central African countries gathered in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire on Thursday and Friday last week for their first regional meeting, which was facilitated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and hosted by the Ports and Maritime Affairs Directorate of Cote d’Ivoire.
Prime Minister of Cote d’ Ivoire, Daniel Duncan who declared the meeting open, 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 was organised 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 discussed include the forthcoming IMO Mandatory Audit Scheme, Country Maritime Profiles, the African Union 2050 AIM Strategy and the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme.
IMO’s Director, Technical Cooperation Division, Nicolaos Charalambous; Head, Africa Section, William Azuh and Regional Coordinator for the region, Honorat Hoba all participated in the meeting.
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