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Forging an Ocean Governance Strategy for the Western Indian Ocean

GEF/UNEP/UNDP Western Indian Ocean

By IW:LEARN

October 29^th, 2019

Oceans and the multiple benefits they bring—such as food, jobs, oxygen, and more—are, by their very nature, a shared resource. Protecting, managing, and using the ocean is thus also a shared responsibility, one that requires strong cross-country governance. Currently, marine and coastal resources in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region are managed by various institutions, organizations, agreements, and commissions, all of which have independent and often overlapping mandates. Effectively addressing threats to the WIO will require these bodies, the multiple users of the ocean, and related policies and legislation to be harmonized and realigned at the national, regional, and international levels.

Much is at stake—the Global Marine Product of the WIO is estimated to be over 20 billion USD per year, and 22% of the marine species in the region can be found nowhere else on earth. Additionally, the population of the WIO is expected to grow by half a billion people by 2050, meaning the pressure on the ocean’s resources will increase dramatically. The region therefore needs to urgently examine and influence change in how the oceans can be managed sustainably.

Furthermore, as the oceans are all interconnected, ocean governance decisions in the WIO region will have an effect on the global level—impacting everything from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); input into the ongoing global discussions on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ); the ocean dimension of the Paris Agreement; etc.

In this vein, the Nairobi Convention, in executing the UNDP-implemented SAPPHIRE project, organized a workshop to discuss an ocean governance strategy for the WIO region on 4-5 September 2019 in Mahé, Seychelles. In preparation for the workshop, the SAPPHIRE project commissioned the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), through a consultant, Mr. Kieran Keller, to prepare two documents: a background document titled ‘the State of Ocean Governance in the Western Indian Ocean’ and a draft regional ocean governance strategy. The background document assessed and analyzed ocean governance at the national and regional levels and identified relevant lessons and best practices. The strategy, for its part, focused on informing decision makers on the range of possible regional ocean governance approaches and served as a potential platform and framework for enhanced regional collaboration on ocean governance.

Debating the WIO ocean governance strategy. Credit: SAPPHIRE

Participants at the Ocean Governance Meeting in Mahe. Credit: SAPPHIRE

Nairobi Convention states and parties deliberated on what kind of structure an ocean governance strategy could take and how it could be aligned with national and regional priorities, as well as with the global ocean governance initiatives listed above. Participants also identified the different governance needs among WIO countries and mechanisms to contribute to the ocean governance discussion in the African Union (AU.)

Priorities identified for ocean governance included:

safeguarding the well-being of the community,
harmonizing policies and legislation among countries;
creating a mechanism for monitoring compliance;
ensuring that science informs policy, including by establishing a forum at the local level;
better knowledge on the uncertain effects of climate change; and
designing a flexible strategy buttressed by strong political will and communication channels.

A key theme that emerged was the desire to see the AU and Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) fully involved in all strategy discussions, which would allow them to include ocean governance in the agendas of their institutions.

Moving forward, the Nairobi Convention is incorporating all input into the background document and developing a draft ocean governance strategy for review. The Convention hopes that these documents will help the region maintain its momentum towards creating an inclusive strategy—one whose benefits are felt both within the WIO region and beyond.