Six West African countries have made progress towards a subregional agreement to strengthen cooperation and mutual assistance in responding to marine pollution emergencies, with the technical validation of a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Representatives from Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal reached the milestone during a four-day workshop held in Banjul, The Gambia (26–29 October 2026), organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Ipieca under the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF) Project.
Hosted by the Gambia Maritime Authority, the workshop brought together 21 representatives from maritime, environmental and disaster management authorities across the six countries. It responds to growing marine pollution risks associated with increasing maritime traffic and offshore oil and gas activities in the region, forming part of a broader regional initiative launched in Dakar in 2025.
Draft agreement validated; signature process set for 2027
Participants reviewed and further developed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at establishing practical mechanisms for cooperation in peacetime, and mutual assistance during marine pollution emergencies.
Discussions focused on four key pillars:
- harmonization of national regulations;
- cooperation between countries;
- mutual assistance during incidents; and
- governance arrangements for the future framework.
The workshop resulted in the technical validation of all articles of the draft MoU and the proposed structure of its annexes. The document will undergo further consolidation and translation into French and Portuguese, with completion and the signature process planned for 2027.
Commitment to collective preparedness and resilience
Once finalized, the agreement is expected to strengthen collective preparedness and resilience across a maritime area covering more than 1.2 million square kilometres of shared waters in West Africa.
The participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and recognized the importance of establishing a practical and operational mechanism for preparedness, response and mutual assistance in the event of pollution incidents involving oil and hazardous substances.
Participants further called for continued support from IMO, Ipieca and the GI WACAF Project to facilitate the completion and implementation of the agreement.
The initiative contributes to the implementation of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC 1990) and complements existing regional frameworks, including the Abidjan Convention and its Emergency Protocol.
The workshop was organized through IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), and in cooperation with GI WACAF.