The IOCAFRICA  Secretariat, is seeking to employ the services of an individual consultant to conduct a desktop assessment on the vulnerability and adaptation of West Africa's marine and coastal ecosystems. The assessment will focus on the coastal countries of West Africa and will contribute to fostering and informing ongoing and constructive dialogues on climate change in West Africa within various platforms, including within the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the African Union, and regional bodies, and national authorities.

See the attached RFP for detailed information: {phocadownload view=file|id=59|target=s}

UNESCO-IOCAFRICA in partnership with the Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) undertook a joint training on ‘The Implementation of FAIR Principles to African Marine and Coastal Data’. The blended training organized in the KMFRI headquarters, Mombasa Kenya, between 23- 26 September 2024, aimed at impacting and sharing skills with practitioners in research and data management, focusing on ocean and coastal zones in Africa. The training was attended by 22 participants, drawn from 16 IOCAFRICA member states.

Preference was given to data managers in the National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs) and Associated Data Units (ADUs) in Africa, affiliated to the UNESCO International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) program. Among other issues, the hands-on training session focused on addressing key issues such as:

• Remapping critical ocean data gaps in different African countries,
• Providing information on methods to strengthen data quality control procedures
• Training participants on publishing data for inclusion in scientific papers and data repositories
• Providing mechanisms to members states for contributing and accessing data through African regional nodes for platforms such as the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS)

The training will go a long way in supporting marine research and sustainable development. In addition, it will initiate and facilitate a continuous dialogue geared towards identification and addressing specific end-user group needs for data, information, and digital infrastructure.

Dear experts,
 
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA), in partnership with the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES), is facilitating a collaborative effort to develop policy briefs focused on critical ocean-related issues. These briefs will aim to support policymakers and negotiators by offering key insights and recommendations on topics: understanding loss and damage in African oceans and climate finance in relation to oceans. Please refer to the attached concept note for further details.
 
If you are interested and available to contribute to this important initiative, kindly send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., specifying the title of the policy brief you wish to contribute to on the subject.
 
We look forward to your participation.

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