The contracting parties to the Nairobi Convention have adopted decisions to support regional approach in capacity building in the oil and gas sector and have requested the convention secretariat to support a review of national oil spill contingency plans, identification of capacity gaps in oil spill preparedness and response, and preparation of oil spill sensitivity maps for Contracting Parties that require such support.
In March 2020, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, through the SAPPHIRE project, collaborated with IMO and the IOC-COI in organising a regional workshop on cooperation in preparedness and response to marine spills in Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. The workshop generated a series of recommendations focused on implementing regional cooperation. Recommendation 1.6 requested the Nairobi Convention Secretariat to provide and/or facilitate support to member countries in the development and update, where necessary of National Oil Spill Contingency Plans, environmental sensitivity atlas/maps, dispersant policies, waste management guidelines and wildlife response guidelines, ensuring suitable linkage to the draft Regional Contingency Plan (RCP). The grounding of MV Wakashio in Mauritius highlighted the challenges presented by a significant marine oil spill. In May 2021, the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) through the MASE programme organised a consultative meeting to discuss the way forward in the implementation of the recommendations of the marine pollution exercise held in Diego-Suarez in October 2019 and March 2020.
The mid-April 2025 meeting, which will take place in Nosy Be, Madagascar, will bring together Nairobi Convention and SAPPHIRE* project focal points, experts responsible for oil spill preparedness and response issues as well as partners implementing oil spills intervention in the WIO region, to discuss the draft Regional Contingency Plan for Preparedness and Response to Major Marine Pollution Incidents in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region and its implementation plan and agree on steps towards adoption of the regional contingency plan at the 12th COP.
* The Nairobi convention SAPPHIRE project promotes policy and institutional reform to help improve the management of the Western Indian Ocean Large Marine Ecosystem. It builds capacity among governments, communities, partners, intergovernmental organizations and the private sector in sustainable resource management and ocean governance.
