Towards a Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Commission

In 2006, ministers of 16 countries bordering the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) formed an Interim Guinea Current Commission (IGCC). Actions are now underway to establish a permanent Guinea Current Commission (GCC) to oversee the sustainable development of the goods and services of the GCLME. The movement towards establishment of the GCC is provided with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Technical support is provided to participating countries by four UN agencies (UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO and FAO). Additional support is provided by the World Bank and other international organizations in Norway, Sweden, Germany and the United States. The movement towards establishment of a permanent GCC is supported by a powerful political coalition of ministers of the 16 participating countries, along with a strong cadre of scientists and technical professionals from the region with proficiency in the LME approach gained from earlier phases of GEF regional projects. The GCC will be linked to an expanded scope of environmental protection provided to the region by the Abidjan Convention through a unique new protocol as decided at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting in the Osu Declaration that supports ecosystem-based assessment and management practices for sustainable development of the GCLME.