On the 7, 8, 11 and 12th of October government officials and various other stakeholders from Seychelles and Mauritius will be participating in a virtual workshop as part of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) – JMA (Joint Management Area), Demonstration Project’s ongoing capacity building strategy and activities.
The aim of the workshop is to provide the participants with knowledge on the living and non-living resources and the continental shelf itself, the legalities of marine scientific research, pollution, BBNJ and enforcement powers allowed through international legal frameworks. It will also provide an overview of the Law of the Sea Convention and an introduction to the continental shelf as per UNCLOS for those who are new to the joint management efforts.
The JMA of the Extended Continental Shelf of the Mascarene Plateau, is co-management area under the jurisdictions of the Republic of Seychelles and the Republic of Mauritius. The UNDP-JMA Demonstration Project is a GEF (Global Environmental Fund) funded project of USD 2.2 million and implemented by UNDP, with an overall objective of identifying and demonstrating new management approaches and techniques concerning ocean governance, data management and marine spatial planning in a new environment of shared jurisdiction of the extended continental shelf. This project will serve as an example to the world and how it can be applied to similar cases.
The workshop would be facilitated by the legal consultant for the project Associate Professor Joanna Mossop, who is the Associate Dean (Research), Law Faculty at Victoria University of Wellington. She is an accomplished writer of multiple academic articles and books. Some of her works includes the role of coastal States in the BBNJ Treaty, marine genetic resources, the need for an integrated approach to use and management of the seabed and the water column and the rights and responsibilities of States for the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
Seychelles’ stakeholders who will be participating in the workshop includes staff from the Department of Blue Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Seychelles Fishing Authority, the Seychelles’ Coast Guard, and Office of the Attorney General.
