History of GI WACAF

Background The Global Initiative is a joint programme established between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA). It was launched in 1996 in South Africa and endorsed by the 37th session of the Marine Environnement Protection Committee (MEPC) “to enhance the capacity of countries to prepare for and respond to marine oil spills. The committee note that: The overall objective is to improve and sustain the capacity of developing countries to protect their marine and coastal resources at risk from an oil pollution incident through the full implementation of the OPRC Convention. Delivery of the project activities would be directed to participating countries through national and local industry focal points using local experts and institutions. The project is coordinated jointly by IMO and IPIECA and both Government and industry in participating countries would work together in partnership to define project activities and make the necessary commitments. The IPIECA Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG) which aims to sharing best practice and develop guidelines to promote quality of oil spill preparedness and response, is the coordinating body of the Global Initiative. OSWG produced the “Report Series” which has become an international reference guideline on oil spill preparedness and response. The Marine Environment Division (MED) of the International Maritime organization is the IMO division in charge of the Global Initiative. This division is responsible for the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) gathering all IMO states members to establish the international guidelines and regulation on Marine Environment and shipping activities. The MEPC developed the three major international conventions which provide the legal framework of the Global Initiative: The OPRC provides international standard for oil spill preparedness at national level and indicates procedure for mutual assistance in case of oil spill, The CLC 92 provides regulation for liability and compensation for oil spill originating from ship. The FUND 92 provides an additional funding mechanism. Evolution In its beginning, during the nineties, the Global Initiative was mostly involved in large regional seminars involving delegates from the oil industry and the government. These regional events gave the opportunity to establish regional status and to agree on general recommendations towards improved preparedness. To increase follow-up and strengthen results the Global integrate had move into regional long term integrated approaches at regional levels. The Global Initiative now encompasses regional project for the Mediterranean (MOIG), Caspian and Black Sea (OSPRI) and West and Central Africa (GI WACAF), each with a designated project manager, to help build local capacity, interest and political will for the development and implementation of effective contingency plans. A similar project for the East Asian Seas/Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) regions is similarly development. These regional projects offer closer partnership possibilities between government and local business units keeping a regional focus to achieve the GI vision. The Global Initiative and its regional projects support the implementation of the IMO technical cooperation programme which includes a range of workshops and seminars on oil spill preparedness and response at national and regional level. Results and next steps The Global Initiative demonstrates a successful example of cooperation between the United Nation and the industry. This success is due to the willingness of the IMO and the oil industry to reduce oil spills and to support governments to “enhance the capacity of countries to prepare for and respond to marine oil spills” through the ratification and the implementation of appropriate IMO legal instruments and the promulgation of best practice developed by the oil industry. The regional projects of the Global Initiative have demonstrated their value trough the implementation the GI objectives. Underpinned by continual improvement management systems, the GI WACAF offers a good example of regional programme management. The Global Initiative next challenge would be to strengthen their regional project and uniform its goals and management systems.