Co-ordinating Committee of the Pan-African Conference on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) plans for the sustainability of Africa's Ocean environment

ITEM: 21
SOURCE/AUTHOR: Julian Robbins, IOC newsroom
DATE: October 26, 1998

Back in July of 1998, the Pan-African Conference on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) was convened by the Government of Mozambique in partnership with the Government of Finland, UNESCO/IOC, UNEP and the FAO as a part of region-wide efforts to give greater impetus to the management of seas and coastal areas in Africa. The PACSICOM conference was a major contribution of Africa to the International Year of Ocean and Expo'98. The event offered a unique opportunity for discussing the state of the coastal and marine environment in Africa -with special focus on the need for intergovernmental and interdisciplinary dialogue. The original PACSICOM Conference was held from the 18-25, July, 1998 in Maputo Mozambique.

Currently, other activities are starting to arise around PACSICOM and issues of integrated coastal management in Africa. Two future conferences connected with PACSICOM activities ( Cape Town Conference on Cooperation for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment in sub-Saharan Africa, 30 November- 4 December 1998 and the Partnership Conference to be held in mid 1999) will be held in order to determine funding and prioritize actions for African ocean management.

Most recently, the PACSICOM Coordinating Committee met in Nairobi Kenya from the 20th to the 24th of October, 1998.  Representing the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at the Nairobi event was Justin Ahanhanzo.

The Coordinating Committee reviewed the following nine major issues:
I -Progress Report of the activities agreed on in the meeting of 25 July, 1998 during the Maputo PACSICOM conference, II- Arrangements for the transmittal of the reports to Governments, sub-regional and regional institutions, international agencies, NGOs and donors, III- Production of the Proceedings, IV- Sustaining and broadening the PACSICOM message and momentum by publishing its outputs, V- Preparing a PACSICOM Package for the Cape Town Conference, VI- Sponsorship of the participants to the Cape Town Conference, VII- A Partnership Conference, VIII- Planning for a second PACSICOM Conference and IX- PACSICOM's contribution to the 1998 Global Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment.

For more information about development and activities of PACSICOM and the IOC, you can contact Mr. Ahanhanzo at:

Tel:.+33(1) 45 68 36 41                                                                                                             

Fax: +33(1) 45 68 58 12

Email: j.ahanhanzo@unesco.org