Alsf Co-Organizes Regional Workshop On Negotiating Fishing Agreements and Concession

21 May 2018
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African Development Bank (Abidjan)

Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing represents US$ 1.2 billion loss in revenue for West African countries alone. Some of this loss is due to inadequate governance in the sector. There is a growing awareness among African countries and regional bodies dedicated to maritime economy, of the need to strengthen capacity in this sector and empower government ministries for negotiations.

To respond to this need, the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) in partnership with the African Natural Resources Centre of the African Development Bank held a regional seminar on negotiating fishing agreements and concessions for francophone countries.

The first of the two workshops took place at the Bank's Headquarters in Abidjan, 14-19 May 2018.

Kwame Mfodwo, the Bank's Fisheries Legal Expert, coordinated the seminar attended by technical personnel from the relevant ministries in coastal francophone countries, and featured negotiation simulations as well as experience sharing in the fisheries sector.

The workshop, he said advances the ALSF's mission to build sustainable legal capacity in Africa, in synergy with African Development Bank's High 5 priorities of Feeding Africa and Improving the Quality of Life in Africa. The workshop empowered regional member countries whose economies are affected, with tools to negotiate access agreements and concessions in the best interest of their respective countries, he added.

The Director-General of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Gabon,Micheline Schummer Gnandji, underscored the essence of the workshop, noting that it enabled participants to share experiences and competencies for successful negotiation of deals in the sector.

"We are hoping to have more of these capacity building workshops, they are essential for Africa to move forward," she added.

About ALSF

The African Legal Support Facility is an international organization hosted by the African Development Bank Group. The Facility is dedicated to providing legal advice and technical assistance to African countries in their negotiation of complex commercial transactions, creditor litigation and other related sovereign transactions. The ALSF also develops and proposes innovative tools for capacity building and knowledge management.

About the African Development Bank Group

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

Read the original article on African Development Bank (AfDB).

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