The  global objective of the assignment is to support the formulation of a  regional initiative in West Africa to support and boost sustainable regional  ocean governance and management. The specific objective of this assignment is  to prepare all the necessary elements of a draft Action Document (AD) to  implement a programme on ocean governance, sustainable blue economy, and  conservation/restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems in West  Africa.    

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The assignment required a situational analysis of environmental, social,  and economic sustainability issues, strategic orientations considering  political frameworks and ownership, priority interventions and priority  areas, key stakeholders and their capacities, gender aspects and ongoing  projects; This analysis should focus in particular on: i) Ocean governance  and Research, ii) Sustainable Blue Economy including Integrated Coastal Zones  Management and Green infrastructures and iii) Conservation and restoration of  oceans and coastal ecosystems, list of proposals for i) possible actions  (avoiding overlaps and building synergies with other existing and foreseen  projects in the region, sub-regions and countries); ii) potential  implementing partners; iii) possible implementation modalities; iv)  governance and steering of the programme. In line with the NDICI guidelines  for programming, the proposals shall be guided by EU strategic policy  objectives, bear in mind subsidiarity and complementarity, and apply an  eco-system and human rights-based approach, and formulation of a draft Action  Document4 for new action on Regional Ocean Governance and Blue Economy  initiative for West Africa (The Gulf of Guinea/Atlantic Façade)    

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This assignment was accomplished through a comprehensive literature review  including the latest ECOWAS policies, and RFB related-documents /brief  stakeholder mapping,field missions and video conferences in some of the Gulf of Guinea  ECOWAS Member States (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, open to other  beneficiary countries if relevant); and meetings with the Regional Fisheries  Bodies: FCWC and the SRFC briefing, interim meetings and debriefing with EUDs  and INTPA HQ, EEAS and another relevant line DGs, consultation meetings with  stakeholders/ (specific global and regional institutions such as west African  non-state actors-WANSAFA), national authorities and agencies and potential  beneficiaries.    For this assignment we provided Inception Report, Interim Report, Draft  Final Report, and Final Report at the end of the assignment.