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International
Organizations Compendium
African Atlantic
Fisheries Conference [ATLAFCO]
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Secrétariat Permanent de la COMHAFAT
B.P.
476 Nouvelle Cite Administrative, Haut-Agdal-Rabat, Morocco
Tel: +212 7
688303 Fax: +212 7
688329 Email: alahlou.@.mp3m.gov.ma
Official website:
www.mpm.gov.ma/conference/index_conf.htm |
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Convention
on Fisheries Cooperation Among African States Bordering the
Atlantic Ocean
Adopted in
Dakar, 5 July 1991
In force 11 August 1995 |
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Membership
As of 31 Jan 2005 |
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Benin, Cape Verde,
Congo (Dem. Rep of), Côte
d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone |
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The
Conference "Region" covers the ocean area adjacent to
the African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean, as listed in
the Convention (see below). The
Convention area is not defined in precise terms.
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The Conference is
concerned with all fisheries. |
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The
main objectives are:
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to
promote cooperation in fisheries conservation, management
and development in the region, including the monitoring,
surveillance and control of fishing vessels;
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to
"take up the challenge" of food self-sufficiency
through the rational utilization of fishery
resources;
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to
stimulate the national economic sectors through the direct
and secondary effects resulting from fishery resources
exploitation;
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to
enhance, coordinate and harmonize efforts and
capabilities for the purpose of conserving, exploiting,
upgrading and marketing fishery resources; and
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to
reinforce solidarity with African land-locked States and
geographically disadvantaged States of the region.
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The Ministerial Conference on Fisheries
Cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean
was created under the
1991 Dakar
Convention to promote cooperation concerning fisheries
management and development in West Africa. It has played an
important role in several regional meetings concerning different
fisheries issues. The jurisdiction of the Conference extends
from Morocco to Namibia, and as such is the only organization
covering the whole West Africa region, although it is only open
to coastal States.
The Convention is open to
accession to any African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean,
listed in the Convention as follows:
People's Republic of Angola, Republic of Benin, Republic
of Cameroon, Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Republic
of Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of Gabon, Republic of The Gambia,
Republic of Ghana, Republic of Guinea, Republic of
Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of
Liberia, Kingdom of Morocco, Islamic Republic of Mauritania,
Republic of Namibia, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Democratic
Republic of São Tomé and Principe, Republic of Senegal,
Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Togo, Republic of Zaire
The Conference
consists of three main bodies: the
Conference of Ministers; a Bureau; and a Secretariat. The
ATLAFCO Convention does not specify the functions of these
bodies, but the functions were developed by the Conference
and its first meeting and formalized in 1999 by the
adoption of a
Protocol on the
Institutional Framework of the Ministerial Conference.
Conference of Ministers
The Conference of Ministers is
the governing and decision-making body, and is required to hold
regular sessions every two years. Its functions include:
determining the general policy of
the Conference; setting out recommendations on all issues
pertaining to the Convention's objectives; and encouraging coordination of the
members positions with respect to issues of interest to African
States bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Bureau
The Bureau is
the coordinating organ of the Conference of Ministers. It is
composed of representatives from
the State fulfilling the
Presidency, the four States
fulfilling the Vice-Presidencies, the State carrying out the
function of Reporters and the State ensuring the Secretariat and meets at least
once per year to review and monitor the Conference's activities.
Its functions include:
examining and reviewing Conference activities and the
implementation of its recommendations; submitting
recommendations for actions to the Conference of Ministers; and
carrying out other duties as are assigned to it.
Secretariat
The Secretariat, which is provided by
Morocco, is responsible for the organization of sessions of the Conference of
Ministers and the Bureau and carries out associated administrative functions.
The
Conference is not a fisheries management body and does not
prescribe fisheries regulations for its members. The Conference
covers a wide range of other activities, however, which include:
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promoting
the conservation and management of fishery resources in
the Region, inter alia by:
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taking
concerted action for the assessment of transboundary
fish stocks occurring in the Region,
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maintaining
an inventory of human and material resources of the
Region,
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exchanging
scientific information regarding fishery resources,
statistics relating to catch and fishing effort and
other relevant data,
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adopting
harmonized policies, in particular with regard to
the determination of catch quotas and the adoption
of joint regulation of fishing seasons,
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exchanging
information regarding the assessment and
conservation of highly migratory species and
coordinating actions within the competent
international organizations
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working
and collaborating to ensure the monitoring,
surveillance and control of fishing vessels
operating in the Region
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give
attention to the development and upgrading of fishery
production and means of production;
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encourage
the establishment of bilateral and multilateral
cooperation in the marketing of fishery products so as to
promote intra-African fish trade and to enhance the
exporting capacities of Parties in the world market;
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promote
the improvement of social conditions for fishermen and
enhance vocational and technical training;
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develop
marine scientific research;
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intensify
efforts to protect and preserve the marine environment;
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endeavour
to harmonize fisheries policies, both at the national
level and through increased cooperation at the
international level; and
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encourage
the conclusion of fisheries agreements between themselves
on a preferential basis and exchange their experience in
the negotiation and conclusion of fisheries cooperation
agreements with third parties.
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In practice,
the Conference has only acted within a much smaller range of
activities, although it is credited with contributing to the
identification of a number of projects which have been carried
out or are on-going in the region, particularly in the areas of
monitoring control and surveillance (MCS), the application of
GIS, training on various aspects of fisheries and improvement in
the legal frameworks of member countries.
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BACK
TO INDEX |
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(*Also known by its French acronym - COMHAFAT -
and an unofficial acronym - AAFC)
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