Organised by the IOC-UNESCO and co-organised by the African Union, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, the Abidjan Convention Secretariat and PAP/RAC of UNEP/MAP, the 2nd MSPforum for Africa took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 5-6 November 2023. The objective of this event was to exchange on the progress towards implementation of the blue economy and MSP in the three Regional Seas Programmes of UNEP. Around 60 participants from various African countries including those from the Barcelona Convention gathered to discuss and exchange around the following themes: MSP & Africa Blue Economy Strategy; tools for MSP and MSP & Regional Seas. The Deputy Director of PAP/RAC represented the Barcelona Convention and presented the draft Conceptual Framework for Implementing MSP in the Mediterranean and the MSP tool, i.e. the MSP Workspace which is an online checklist for land-sea interaction, ecosystem-based approach and climate adaptations within MSP developed by PAP/RAC.
The Forum found the Mediterranean experience very useful for the work on MSP in African countries which have already taken important steps in MSP implementation. However, some encouragement on the MSP implementation in the frame of the Barcelona Convention is still needed. Hopefully, the decision on the Conceptual framework for MSP to be adopted at COP 23 in Portoroz, Slovenia in December 2023 is a good way forward.
