Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for a Thriving Western Indian Ocean Four Decades of United Action for the Western Indian Ocean; Q2 NEWSLETTER

Highlights of the Second Quarter

Report of the Bureau Meeting 29th April 2025

Following from the first meeting of the Nairobi Convention Bureau, the Bureau convened virtually in April 2025 to review progress in implementing Decisions from the Eleventh Conference of Parties (COP11) and the 2025–2028 of Work . Members commended recent regional activities on marine spatial planning, ecosystem monitoring, ocean acidification, and pollution preparedness, aligning with global frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the BBNJ Agreement. The meeting underscored the importance of continued alignment with global ocean priorities, including the ongoing negotiation of a global treaty on plastic pollution.

The Bureau also discussed strengthening regional legal and governance mechanisms, including support for the Regional Legal and Technical Working Group on BBNJ and the development of a regional vision and implementation framework for the Agreement. In the Western Indian Ocean region, Kenya, Seychelles, Mauritius, and France have already ratified the BBNJ Treaty, marking important progress toward regional commitment and action.

Member States of the Bureau emphasized the importance of resource mobilization, equitable country participation in regional initiatives, and improving coordination across programmes. The Secretariat was tasked with facilitating broader engagement, increasing donor outreach, and ensuring regional representation at the concluded UN Ocean Conference that took place in June 2025. Bureau members further agreed to continue with virtual quarterly meetings to monitor progress and maintain momentum.

Strengthening Environmental Action Across the ACP Regions

Under the ACP MEAs 3 project, now in its terminal phase, the Nairobi Convention has focused on strengthening the implementation of its protocols and enhancing regional ocean governance in the Western Indian Ocean. The project has supported the development of a regional ocean governance strategy, marine spatial planning frameworks, and a regional marine biodiversity outlook. It has also facilitated the validation of a regional ocean acidification action plan and the preparation of a Critical Habitats Outlook to guide the protection of key coastal ecosystems. Additionally, it has assisted countries in implementing national marine litter action plans and in setting marine water quality standards. These efforts have been complemented by capacity-building activities targeting key stakeholders including women, youth, and local communities to promote inclusive and effective marine and coastal management.

The Third Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting of the ACP MEAs 3 Programme took place virtually from 17–18 June 2025, bringing together key partners from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific to review progress, share lessons learned, and shape strategic directions for enforcing environmental treaties.

The meeting convened representatives from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the European Commission, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), regional seas conventions—including the Nairobi Convention—and secretariats of major Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

As the programme progresses actively into its final year, participants at the PSC focused on strengthening compliance and enforcement of biodiversity and chemicals and waste-related MEAs, enhancing ocean governance, and preparing for a high-level close-out event during the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in December 2025.

Northern Mozambique Channel named World Restoration Flagship

The Northern Mozambique Channel (NMC), a biodiversity hotspot containing 35 % of the Indian Ocean’s coral reefs was officially recognized as a World Restoration Flagship by UNEP and FAO. This recognition was during the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.

The NMC covers Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania, focusing on restoring nearly 87,200 hectares of shared marine and coastal resources, and strengthening fisheries management. With adequate funding, restoration is projected to expand to 4.85 million ha by 2030, yielding benefits for enhanced livelihoods, creating over 2,000 new jobs, and increased carbon sequestration, thereby solidifying the Northern Mozambique Channel as a global model for integrated ocean restoration and sustainable blue growth.

Photo - The Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Madagascar, Hon. Max Andonirina Fontaine receives the trophy on behalf of the NMC region from the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

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Nairobi Convention Joins Regional Workshop to Advance Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Indian Ocean

In June 2025, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat (NCS) joined the second regional workshop of the International Training Programme on Marine Spatial Planning (ITP MSP) in Zanzibar. Co-hosted by WIOMSA, SwAM, and national partners, the workshop brought together Western Indian Ocean (WIO) countries to strengthen institutional collaboration, data management, and cross-sectoral coordination for effective rollout of MSP in the region. The workshop was part of a broader partnership between the Nairobi Convention and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM).

During the ITP training the Nairobi Convention delivered progress on transboundary MSP, drawing lessons from the NoCaMO project, the Mauritius–Seychelles Joint Management Area and the proposed Kenya–Tanzania Transboundary Conservation Area. Discussions emphasized on the need for regional cooperation, reliable data, and alignment between national and regional MSP processes. Participants advanced their country-specific Change Projects and strengthened cross-border networks for sustainable ocean governance.

Under the SWIOFC–Nairobi Convention Partnership Project for Resilient Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Livelihood, efforts are being made to enhance ocean governance in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique through capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and ecosystem-based management. Joint activities—including MSP training, stakeholder mapping, and local level site assessments on the environment and fisheries sectors —are helping to build resilience in marine and coastal ecosystems, improve coordination between fisheries and environmental sectors, and promote the sustainable use of ocean resources across the region.

Photo-Participants take part in group work during the NCS session on transboundary issues in Tanzania

Data Sharing and Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Management of the Western Indian Ocean

While the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region remains under mounting pressure from the triple planetary crises, countries in the region are responding with coordinated, data-driven approaches to marine governance. Through the SAPPHIRE project and aligned initiatives, nations have updated ecosystem assessments, strengthened data collection, and used these insights to inform national policies and transboundary cooperation. Practical impacts range from Kenya’s blue carbon strategies and Tanzania’s seaweed cooperatives to Mauritius’ climate-resilient coastal planning and Mozambique’s aquaculture development. These efforts not only improve national decision-making but also support regional tools like Marine Spatial Planning and pollution contingency frameworks, laying the groundwork for a resilient, inclusive blue economy anchored in science and shared responsibility.

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Photo-Fisherman sitting on a boat in Zanzibar, Tanzania.