Report Of The Eighth Conference Of Parties To The Convention For The Protection, Management And Development Of The Marine And Coastal Environment Of The Western Indian Ocean (Nairobi Convention) - COP8 - June 2015 Mahe Seychelles - COP8

The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean Region Secretariat (Nairobi Convention) in close collaboration with the Government of Seychelles, and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), organized the Eighth Conference of Parties (COP8) for the Nairobi Convention under the theme “Conserving the Marine and Coastal Environment for the Western Indian Ocean for the next 30 Years” on 22 - 24 June, 2015 in Mahe, Seychelles.

The COP8 for the Nairobi Convention coincided with the 30th anniversary -- the Convention that was adopted in June 1985

The Eighth Conference of Parties was preceded by three preparatory workshops, the launch of the Regional State of the Coast Report of the Western Indian Ocean and the signing of the Strategic Action Programme for Sustainable Management of the WIO large marine ecosystems (LMEs) by the Contracting Parties.

The preceding preparatory workshops were held in the following sequence:

a) The Blue Economy and Ocean Governance Workshop held on the 17-18 June 2015;

b) The Partnerships Workshop held on the 19 June 2015;

c) The Science - Policy Workshop held on the 20 June 2015;

COP 8 was divided into two segments: an Experts meeting on 22 June 2015; and a Heads of Delegation Meeting on 23-24 June, 2015.

The Experts’ meeting discussed the UNEP Executive Director’s report, the National Reports on the activities of the Contracting Parties, Observers reports, a Coordination Mechanism for the Nairobi Convention and the Draft Decisions for the Heads of Delegation meeting.