Concept Note - Meeting of the Consortium for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean region (WIO-C). Friday 06 September 2019, Mahe, Seychelles

The Nairobi Convention, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Birdlife International are organizing a meeting of the Consortium for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean region (WIO-C) to be held on 06 September 2019 in Seychelles.

The WIO-C meeting is organized pursuant to Decision CP.9/13 of the Ninth Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention on ‘Enhancing cooperation, collaboration and support with partners’ specifically 13.10 which requested Contracting Parties to partner with the Consortium for the Convention of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean to strengthen linkage between the Consortium and implementation of the strategic action programmes of the Nairobi Convention.

The meeting seeks to bring together WIO-C members to discuss on how to strengthen WIO-C’s support to the projects under the Nairobi Convention and also complement and create synergies with other initiatives in the region in working toward sustainable management of WIO coastal and marine ecosystems. This will in turn support countries towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 14 on conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and its targets.

WIO-C is a consortium of international and regional Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in partnership with intergovernmental organizations that have presence and are active in regional marine and coastal ecosystem management in the WIO region. It was established during the impelementation of the project on ‘Addressing Land Based activities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIOLaB) to provide a framework for NGOs working in the WIO region to harmonize and advance efforts to protect, conserve, and manage the coastal and marine environment of the WIO region while working to alleviate poverty and attain sustainable livelihoods for the most vulnerable segments of its population. It also aims to support synergy in programmes of work on marine and coastal ecosystem management and promote knowledge and information sharing amongst stakeholders in the WIO region, as well as provide a mechanism for non-governmental entities to anchor activities in the Nairobi Convention and other intergovernmental processes, thus strengthening their implementation.