From 8 to 10 June 2026, the GI WACAF Team organized a sub-regional workshop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, focused on the handling and administration of claims arising from oil pollution damages.

The workshop brought together representatives from Francophone countries — Benin, Congo, DRC, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire — as well as international experts from ITOPF (Franck Laruelle & Natalie Kirk), and the International Group of P&I Clubs (Tonje Castberg) who facilitated sessions throughout the three days.

The diversity and relevance of the profiles represented, combined with their active participation, greatly contributed to the richness of discussions and the overall success of the workshop.

The main objective of the workshop was to:

– Enhance participants’ understanding of international compensation conventions;

– Provide practical tools for preparing claims, documenting evidence, conducting impact assessments, and managing negotiation processes;

– Clarify the role of organizations such as the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds), ITOPF, and International Group of P&I Clubs in the claims system.

GI WACAF was supported by CIAPOL (M. Germain EBA) in hosting this important regional workshop in Abidjan.