The first session of the IOC Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States, meeting on 2–3 May 2012 at the United Nations Office at Nairobi established an Intersessional Working Group comprising of the IOCAFRICA Chair and three Vice-Chairs, IOC Vice-Chair Group V and experts co-opted as necessary to develop the draft Strategic Plan for the Sub-Commission for the period 2014-2021. The session recommended that the Inter-sessional Working Group undertakes wide consultation taking into account the current challenges and the regional and international framework within which the Sub-Commission was created, in order to come up with the appropriate draft.

The Inter sessional Working Group prepared a draft document, which was reviewed and adopted by the Second session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (Cape Town, South Africa, 3-4 April 2013). The draft was subsequently approved by the Twenty-seventh Session of the IOC Assembly (Paris, France, 26 June–5 July 2013). The Plan identified the following priorities for the Sub Commission:

• Understanding of the ocean & coastal processes around Africa
• Monitoring and early warning systems for coastal and oceanic natural hazards
• Understanding of how African oceans and coastal areas will be impacted by changing climates
• Managing and mitigating the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change
• Strengthening of marine and oceanographic training and research institutions
• Creation of critical mass of marine science professionals

In order to achieve these, the sub Commission would focus on: Knowledge Generation and Management, Capacity Development, Partnerships, Resource Mobilization, and Advocacy and Public Awareness.

• IOC/INF-1318 Strategic Plan for the IOC’s Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (English)
• IOC/INF-1318 Strategic Plan for the IOC’s Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (French)

The IOC Assembly, at its 26th Session (June – July 2011, Paris, France) established the IOC Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States, as a framework to improve IOC visibility to facilitate coordination among Member States in the region, and to ensure the efficient implementation of IOC programme in Africa.

The establishment of the Sub-Commission is fully in line with the African Union’s regional integration principle, and will build on the strong marine and ocean networks, as well as the sub-regional programmes and organizations. It will strengthen IOC’s presence in Africa, increase the effectiveness of its actions, and give concrete effect to the priority accorded to Africa by UNESCO. It is an important milestone in the development of marine sciences in the region, and marks a significant transformation in the way that the Commission engages with Member States from the region. An IOC Regional Office for Africa has been established at the UNESCO Nairobi Office to act as the Technical Secretariat for the Sub-Commission.

• Resolution XXVI-3: Establishment of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States

The Vision of the IOCAFRICA is: to be the voice of Africa on matters related to ocean science and the science base for ocean management, providing a unique Africa-wide platform, bringing together Member States, UN agencies and other stakeholders, to drive research, observations, and disaster preparedness and mitigation for the sustainable management of the African oceans and coastal areas.

The Mission of IOCAFRICA is to promote regional and international cooperation for the understanding and management of the African oceans and coastal ecosystems, in order to ensure sustainable development and safety of the coastal populations, taking into account the priorities of Member States from Africa

The IOCAFRICA promotes scientific research and understanding of the ocean and coastal environment and resources, and provide the science-base necessary for the development of the Blue Economy in Africa as outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 (“The Africa We want”), and the 2050 African Integrated Marine Strategic Plan of Action (AIMS2050).

IOCAFRICA has held five sessions since its establishment as follows:

1. The First session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States 2-3 May 2012, United Nations Offices at Nairobi, Kenya. (Eglish)
2. The Second session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States 3–4 April 2013, Cape Town, South Africa. (English)
3. The Third session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States 14-15 April 2015, Nairobi, Kenya. (English)
4. The Fourth session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States 6-8 March 2017, Alexandria, Egypt. (English)
5. The Fifth session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States 25–27 March 2019, United Nations Offices at Nairobi, Kenya.
• English
• French

The Bureau of the Sub-Commission comprises the Chair and three Vice-Chairs elected by the Sub-Commission, and shall serve in accordance with the Guidelines for the Structure and Responsibilities of the Subsidiary Bodies of the Commission.

The following were elected as members of the Bureau of IOCAFRICA:

Prof. Kouadio AFFIAN



IOCAFRICA Chair
Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Click here to view profile

Dr. Ir. Zacharie SOHOU
IOCAFRICA Vice Chair Group A
Directeur de l'Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin (IRHOB)
03 BP 1665 Cotonou Benin

Cândida Inês Sete



IOCAFRICA Vice Chair Group B
National Institute of Hydrography and Navigation (INAHINA)
Karl Marx Avenue, n. 153
P. O. Box 2089, Maputo - Mozambique
Click here to view profile

Dr. Suzan M. El-Gharabawy



IOCAFRICA Vice Chair Group C
Associate Professor Head of Marine Geophysics department
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
Alexandria- Egypt
Click here to view profile

Promoting Cooperation in Management of Africa’s Oceans

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO was established in 1960, through Resolution 2.31 of the UNESCO General Conference as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO to “…. promote international cooperation and coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas; and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States”. Within the first year of IOC’s existence six Africa countries (including Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) became member states of the Commission. The numbers increased as more African countries gained their independence, reaching the current total of 37 member states . This is almost one-quarter of the Commission’s current membership.

The IOC’s Regional Committee for the Central and Eastern Atlantic (IOCEA), was established in 1984 by the Executive Council at its Seventeenth Session through Resolution EC-XVII.7. The IOC Project Office for IOCEA operated from NIOMR, Lagos, Nigeria, from 2002 to 2004. The IOC’s Regional Committee for the Western Indian Ocean (IOCWIO), was established in 1979 by the Assembly at its Eleventh Session through Resolution XI-9 as the IOC’s Regional Committee for the Cooperative Investigations in the North and Central Western Indian Ocean (IOCINCWIO). The name was later changed at the request of IOCINWIO-V. The IOC Project Office for IOCWIO established at KMFRI, Mombasa, Kenya from 2000 to 2004; was moved to the UNESCO Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya, from 2004 to 2009).

The Regional Committees coordinated and facilitated the development and implementation of IOC activities in their respective regions. Through them, IOC has been an active participant in the implementation of programmes in the region, contributing to the development of scientific and technical capabilities, the strengthening of institutions, the installation and deployment of observing systems (e.g. sea level monitoring stations installed in Africa’s coastal and island states), and the development of programmes and structures for addressing the regions priorities. The closure of the two project offices in 2004 (Lagos, Nigeria) and 2009 (Nairobi, Kenya) limited the ability of the Commission to link with national institutions and regional organizations/programmes, thus impacting negatively on the implementation of IOC activities in the region.