The Third Western Indian Ocean Planning meeting for the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition – IIOE-2, will be organized by UNESCO Maputo and the UNESCO-IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States - IOCAFRICA, from 6-8 October 2015 in Catembe, Mozambique. The meeting will gather ocean experts from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania. Also experts from regional initiatives will attend the meeting.

This meeting is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries with the involvement of the following national institutions working on ocean sciences and costal management namely UEM – Faculties of Biology, Physics UEM – Centre for Marine Sciences (Quelimane), Unilurio, INAM, INAHINA, IIP, Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, INAMAR, Escola Superior de Ciências Náuticas, MITADER, INGC.

The purpose of the meeting is to: (i) inform the heads of institutions and government departments from the Western Indian Ocean member states of the progress made in the planning for the second international Indian Ocean Expedition, (ii) review the relevant country plans and requirements for IIOE-2, (iii) review other relevant initiatives planned by organization in the region, and (iv) review progress report from the Group of Experts established by IOCAFRICA.

The meeting will recommend research projects to address IIOE-2 science priorities, national and regional coordination mechanisms, and ways of enhancing participation of member states from the region in IIOE-2.

In conjunction to this meeting, the participants from Mozambique will take the opportunity to review the progress that has been made in development of marine sciences in Mozambique since the Pan-African Conference on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) held in Maputo in July 1998 with the support of UNESCO and its IOC, in collaboration with the Governments of Mozambique and Finland, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).

The participants from Mozambique will explore how to mainstream marine sciences in the UNDAF for Mozambique, discuss the participation of Mozambique in the IIOE-2 and look at the how the targets for the SDG Goal 14 can be achieved in Mozambique.

Contact:

UNESCO IOC-AFRICA: Mika Odido, IOC Coordinator in Africa: m.odido(at)unesco.org

UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa: Masakazu Shibata, Public Information Officer: m.shibata(at)unesco.org