Mission Report: Science to Policy Forum in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Region: Summary of Action Items

The Nairobi Convention Secretariat through the Project on the ‘Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the Western Indian Ocean from landbased sources and activities’ (WIOSAP) in partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) held the 2018 Science to Policy Forum for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region in Durban S. Africa from the 9th to the 11th of July 2018. The Forum serves as an intermediary body to bridge the gaps between science, policy and practice and facilitates the interface between regional research agenda and priorities that could inform policy developments by member states towards a sustainable WIO region. The Forum was held against a backdrop of successive Conference Of Parties (COP) Decisions that have expressed and reinforced the Parties’ desire to reinforce the science policy dialogue.

The objectives of this year’s Forum were to:

i. Discuss the role of the Forum for Academic and Research Institutions (FARI) in the Science-Policy platform,

ii. Discuss relevant scientific themes aligned to the Nairobi Convention priorities as identified in the various Strategic Action Programmes (SAPs), Convention WorkProgramme and Climate Change Strategy and

iii. Recommend proposed policy decisions to the 9th Conference of Parties to be held in Kenya in August 2018.