MOWCA UPDATES 1

SECRETARY GENERAL’S ACTIVITY REPORT

The Secretary General’s activity report provides information on the state of implementation of the Organisation’s work program approved by the General Assembly of Ministers. This report covers the period July, 2008 to December 2009.

The objective of the MOWCA work program is the achievement for the sub-region, of a cost-effective maritime transport services, high on safety, security and low on pollution.

The work program comprises five (5) sections:

• The establishment and strengthening of an institutional framework for cooperation and integration through effective organisation of the General Assembly, the Bureau of Ministers, the Committee of Experts, the Secretariat and relations with the Member States and Development Partners.

• Maritime safety, security, and marine environmental protection; largely through the establishment of the Regional Coast Guard Network and implementation of relevant IMO Conventions, Codes and Regulations.

• Cost-effectiveness of the supply and demand for maritime transport services (port, shipping/transit transport and multimodal transport)

• Centre for Information and Communication

• Regional Maritime Fund and Regional Maritime Development Bank

In implementing the work program, the Secretary General worked closely with the then Chairman of the Organisation, Honourable Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye, then Minister of State, of Maritime Economy, of Maritime Transport, and of Fishing of the Republic of Senegal.

Since March 2009, the Chairman of MOWCA, the Honourable Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye was appointed the Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal and therefore was replaced by Honourable Khouraïchi Thiam as  Minister of Maritime Economy, Fishing and Maritime Transport of the Republic of Senegal and current Chairman of MOWCA.

In the implementation of the work program, the Secretary General encountered two main obstacles:

• the high volume of work in relation to the available human and financial resources at the Secretariat
• rapid changes in personnel at the level of the member States and impact on prioritisation of maritime transport policy and programmes

However, despite the above obstacles, the Organisation was able to successfully focus on the implementation of its work program during the period of review (July 2008-Dec. 2009) as follows:

ACTIVITIES:

• Successful organisation of the 13th General Assembly of Ministers held in Dakar, Republic of Senegal, 29-30 July 2008 and subsequent Implementation of decisions of the 13th General Assembly

• Presentation of Paper on Regional Coast Guard initiative at an International Conference on Maritime Security, Wilton Park, UK, Jan 2009

• Organisation of meeting of MOWCA Committee of Experts on IMO/MOWCA Sub-regional  Coast Guard Network/ Abidjan,  18-20 March 2009

• Convening of the International Panel of Interviewers for the recruitment of Senior Staff to the MOWCA Secretariat, Abidjan, 16-17 March, 2009

• Participation  and Presentation of Paper on the Regional Coast Guard Network at the International Seminar on Maritime Security held in Dakar, Senegal, 21-22 October, 2009

• Presentation of Paper on Maritime Security Policy in Africa at the World Maritime University, Malmo, Sweden, 23 October, 2009

• Presentation of Paper on the Regional Coast Guard Initiative in Africa, to Swedish Research Group in Stockholm, Sweden, 24 October, 2009.

• Organisation jointly with the Republic of Benin, of an International Symposium on Maritime Policy in West and Central Africa,  Cotonou, 29 September-3 October, 2009

• Participation and Presentation of Paper on the Regional Coast Guard Initiative for Africa at the AU Conference of Ministers held in Durban, South Africa, 12-16 October, 2009.

• Participation in the IMO General Assembly, London, 23 November -2 December, 2009.

• Working Visit to Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria on the state of implementation of the Regional Maritime Development Bank, 6-8 January, 2010.

• Pursuit of the Program of Assistance of the Republic of Korea in favour of MOWCA both in terms of equipment supply and training: 78 Experts of the sub-region have so far been trained under the program.

• Regarding Training: the following member States and institutions have benefited: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Maritime Academies of Abidjan and Oron, Regional Maritime University of Accra, PMAWCA, MOU/Abuja and MOWCA Secretariat

• Regarding vehicles and equipment: the beneficiaries were the Coast guard Coordinating Centres: Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Maritime Academy of Abidjan, Regional Maritime University, Accra and MOWCA General Secretariat

• Pursuit of program of Cooperation and assistance with other Development Partners continues.