COP8 Resolution VIII.30 Guidance

Proposed regional initiative

AIM

1.  The overall aim of regional initiatives should be to promote the objectives of the Convention in general and to implement the Ramsar Strategic Plan in particular, through regional and subregional cooperation on wetland-related issues of common concern.

WacoWet aims at 1) contributing to a best conservation and integrated wise use of the ECOLOGIC CONTINUUM which stretches from Liberia to Nigeria and comprises i) marines ecosystems, ii) lagoons and iii) mangroves, through 2) strengthening of the cooperation among administrative authorities in the view raising awareness at ECOWAS level

SUBSTANTIVE ELEMENTS

2.  Regional and subregional initiatives should be based on a bottom-up approach. As a matter of priority, the involvement of as many as possible Contracting Parties of the region or subregion(s) covered by the new initiative should be sought from the start.

All the concerned Ramsar National Focal Points who attended the PreCOP9 meeting in Arusha (3-9 April 2005) have been approached and showed strong interests in the initiative. They all agree for the submission of the initiative to the standing committee and committed themselves to report positively to their national administrative authorities for high level political support.

Many efforts are ongoing currently for the conservation and wise use of mangroves and lagoons ecosystems at national levels in all the countries while some tentative transboundary management cooperation are underway between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, Togo and Benin, etc.

3.  Each initiative should entail the participation, from the start, not only of the Administrative Authorities responsible for the application of the Convention in the Contracting Parties involved, but also of all other relevant stakeholders with an interest in and directly or indirectly responsible for wetland issues, including the ministries responsible for the environment and water issues, intergovernmental bodies, NGOs, academia, and economic actors.

The Ramsar national focal points involved with this initiative agreed on the fact that the network is built in the participatory approach and comprises :

o        Specific NGOs like Flora and Fauna International (Liberia), SOS-Forêt (Côte d’Ivoire), Green Earth Organization (Ghana), Homme pour la Nature et l’Environnement (Togo), Tropical Nature (Benin), Nigerian Conservation Foundation (Nigeria)

o        Private sector

o        National institutions in charge of the Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) of Gulf of Guinea project;

o        The Centre for African Wetlands

4.  A regional initiative should base its operation on the development of networks of collaboration established upon clearly defined terms of reference, thus creating an enabling environment for the involvement of all stakeholders at all levels.

The Ramsar National Focal Points of the involved countries are considered to be the backbone for the launching and the technical running of WacoWet.

5.  At an early stage, a regional initiative should seek collaboration with other intergovernmental or international partners operating in its region, by establishing complementary and non-duplicative activities.

WacoWet will incorporate and work tightly with any important initiatives at regional level like :

o        Large Marine Ecosystem of Gulf of Guinea

o        Centre for African Wetlands

6.  The operation of a regional initiative should be based upon strong scientific and technical backing, provided by relevant institutions which should be recognized as partners in the initiative.

Many scientific and research centers exist though they need capacity building :

o  Centre for African Wetlands

o  The University of Ouagadougou Master of Science on Wetlands studies

o  National universities and research centres

7.  The strategic and operational targets of a regional initiative should be fully aligned with the Strategic Plan of the Convention by means of policy and site technical work and activities.

WacoWet will contribute directly to the following goals and operational objectives of Ramsar Convention:

o        Goal no.1 on wise use

o        Goal no.3 on international cooperation

o        Goal no.4 on implementation capacity

The following operational objectives are targeted directly by WacoWet :

o        Contribute to adequate management of wetlands for preventing the impacts of climate change and sea level rise at global level

o        Contribute to restore degradated and destroyed wetlands including their ecologic, economic and cultural values and functions

o        Contribute to eradicating threats from invasive species to wetlands

o        Leading regional cooperation on wetlands within ECOWAS region especially for the wise use and conservation of freshwater ecosystem, coastal zone, transboundary hydrographic basins, and common migratory species

o        Contribute to reinforcement of the coordination pertinent regional conventions

o        Improving liable information sharing and promoting the creation of networks (sites, experts)

o        Providing efficient mechanisms for training and capacity building to help contracting parties implementing the Convention.

FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUPPORT

8.  A regional initiative requires both political and financial support from Contracting Parties and other partners from the region. A substantial support from the host country is especially important if a regional office is to be established.

The Benin Environmental Agency (BEA) is candidate for hosting the regional bureau and provides logistic facilities (bureau, communication) for the launching of the initiative.

Also, through the Community Based Coastal Biodiversity Management Project (CBCBMP) of Benin (2006-2010) co – funded by GEF and the Government of Benin, kick – of financial support is secured for the launching activities of WacoWet (as outreach objective).

9.  The launching of a regional or subregional initiative should rely upon secured start-up funding for planned activities and projects.

Key basic activities for the launching of WacoWet will focus on :

o        Elaboration of agreement document, strategic plan, technical information, etc., (French and English)

o        Workshops

o        Plead

As mentioned above (see section 8) the costs of these basic activities will be met through financial support of the Benin CBCMP.

10. Financial support from the Convention’s core budget, should the Conference of the Parties so decide, will be provided for a pre-determined period of time – in principle not more than three years. After such a period, the support should be phased out. A regional initiative should generate its own resources and should become financially self-sufficient in the long term. When deciding financial support from the Convention’s core budget, geographically equitable distribution should be taken into account.

There is not any initiative allowing the contracting parties of West Africa coastal region, which share very particular ecosystems of wetlands, to network and benefit from each other while implementing the Ramsar Convention.

A financial support from the central Budget of Convention, whatever its value, will constitute a substantial political and psychological support to this sub-region and a blow of hand to the national focal points vis-à-vis their governments.

The threats from coastal erosion, climatic changes and sea level rise, degradation of the ecosystems of mangrove, invading species, and degradation of the coastal lagoons are very alarming in this area. That thus deserves a support of the central level of Convention.

GOVERNANCE

11. Regional initiatives should establish their own advisory mechanisms, involving all the stakeholders, in order to provide guidance and insight. The Conference of the Parties and the Standing Committee shall receive, through the Ramsar Bureau, reports on their activities and shall oversee their general policies relating to the implementation of the Convention.

WacoWet will functions based on principles and guidelines that are cost-effectiveness oriented :

o        clear and participatory approach mechanism for decision making

o        concrete and well – oriented Strategic Action plan (SAP) which declines the Global Ramsar Strategic Plan

o        easy reporting system for informing as wide as possible all the interested parties and actors especially the Ramsar Bureau

12. Specific arrangements as to the coordination between a regional initiative and the Convention should be worked out by the Ramsar Bureau under the guidance of the Standing Committee, and such arrangements should ultimately be approved by the Conference of the Parties.

WacoWet is committed working for the definition of clear and effective mechanism which facilitates information sharing with the Ramsar Secretariat. MedWet experiences will be largely used and adapted in this field.