Central and Western African Sub-Regions Agree on How to Take Forward Implementation of AEWA Plan of Action for Africa 2012-2017

AEWA National Focal Points (NFPs) from Central and Western Africa have decided on a set of common priorities for the two sub-regions in order to advance the implementation of the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa (PoAA) 2012-2017. AEWA National Focal Points from Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo met from 11 – 14 December 2013 in Dakar, Senegal in order to exchange up-to-date information, experiences and visions on waterbird and wetlands conservation in the two sub-regions, in the context of the implementation of AEWA and, in particular, the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa. The meeting also benefited from the technical support of the National Coordinators for the International Waterbird Census (IWC) from the two sub-regions, who provided valuable guidance on the matters discussed.
 

The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr Baidi Ba, Director of Cabinet at the Senegal Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. During the meeting, the National Focal Points and National IWC Coordinators presented ongoing national activities related to the implementation of the Plan of Action for Africa, and highlighted national priorities as well as challenges currently faced. Interestingly and encouragingly, most countries reported work on incorporating AEWA issues in national legislation, regulations, strategies and other national instruments, as well as monitoring and survey of waterbirds and their sites, and management of these resources.

In addition, participants were updated on activities in the framework of the AEWA PoAA that have been launched and carried out by the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and the Technical Support Unit (TSU) to the AEWA African Initiative, following the adoption of the Plan at the 5th Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP5) in May 2012. The TSU also presented and tested a number of training tools available for waterbird monitoring and survey.

The National Focal Points of both sub-regions identified the need to increase the quantity and quality of data on waterbird populations available for their sub-regions (Result 3.1.1 of the AEWA PoAA) as a priority. In addition, the Western African sub-region prioritized the identification and recognition of key sites that contribute to the network of sites for migratory waterbirds (Result 1.2.1) and the development and implementation of programmes for raising awareness and improving the understanding of waterbird conservation and AEWA (Result 4.3.1). The Central African region, on the other hand, also prioritized the need for the establishment and implementation of management plans contributing to waterbird conservation (Result 1.2.3), as well as the adoption of appropriate national legislation to protect all AEWA Column A species (Result 1.1.1).

These sub-regional priorities for Central and Western Africa will help develop and carry out sub-regional projects aimed at advancing the implementation of the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa. The prioritization will also enable the Technical Support Unit (TSU) to provide targeted assistance towards the implementation of the AEWA PoAA, particularly at the sub-regional level.

Another purpose of the meeting was the election of Sub-regional Focal Point Coordinators, whose role it will be to stimulate and guide the implementation of the Plan of Action for Africa in their sub-region, with support from the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat, the TSU and other relevant partners.

For Central Africa, the AEWA National Focal Point from Congo (Mr Frédéric Lambert Bockandza-Paco) was elected by the AEWA National Focal Points from his sub-region to be the sub-regional Focal Point Coordinator. For Western Africa, the AEWA National Focal Point from Burkina Faso (Ms Germaine Ouedraogo Bouda) was elected for this role.

The TSU was represented by Ms Marianne Courouble and Mr Francois Lamarque (from the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy), Mr Jean-Yves Mondain-Monval and Mr Pierre Defos du Rau (from ONCFS), as well as Ms Clémence Deschamps (from Tour du Valat) and Mr Abdoulaye Ndiaye (from the Senegal Department of National Parks DPN). The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat was represented by Ms Evelyn Moloko.

This sub-regional meeting was organized by the Technical Support Unit (TSU) through the Direction des Parcs Nationaux (DPN) Senegal, in collaboration with the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat, and it was hosted by the Republic of Senegal. It was made possible thanks to a voluntary financial contribution from the French Government, as well as funds provided by the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat.

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat would like to express its sincere gratitude to the host of the meeting for the excellent hospitality received, the participants for their very active and valuable contributions to the meeting, to the French government for the funding provided and the TSU for organizing this successful event.

All African sub-regions have now convened in order to determine priorities for their respective sub-region with regard to the AEWA PoAA and to elect their respective sub-regional National Focal Point Coordinators. A sub-regional NFP meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa took place in October 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa). Subsequently, AEWA NFPs from the Northern African sub-region met in El Kala, Algeria in June 2013.

Further Information:

The Plan of Action for Africa 2012-2017

This five-year plan is set to strengthen the conservation of waterbirds and their habitats in Africa. It was adopted at the 5th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The Plan of Action for Africa includes a set of concrete measures related, among others, to monitoring, knowledge building, awareness raising and more international cooperation.

• Plan of Action for Africa 2012 - 2017

The Technical Support Unit (TSU) to the African Initiative

The TSU is a co-operation between the Tour du Valat research centre, where it is located, the national hunting and wildlife agency Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS), the Direction of National Parks (DPN), Senegal and the Direction of Water and Biodiversity (DEB), France. It is kindly being funded by the Government of France which had offered its creation and related funding at the most recent, 5th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA.

The International Waterbird Census (IWC)

The IWC, coordinated by Wetlands International, provides an international framework for the acquisition and management of waterbird data globally and contributes valuable information for assessing the status of AEWA populations and their sites world-wide. At the national level, the IWC relies on the work of National IWC Coordinators for its functioning.