Namibia ready to sign ‘Benguela Convention’

THE Namibian Government announced its support for the signing of the ‘Benguela Convention’ with Angola and South Africa.

The convention is expected to be signed in the city of ‘Benguela’ (Angola) by September. This will bring into force a unique multilateral agreement that has as its objective the long-term conservation, protection, rehabilitation and sustainable use of the ‘Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME). This means, the signing will ensure that industrial development progresses in an environmentally responsible manner and that the three countries work together to protect biodiversity, maintain the integrity of the ecosystem and minimize the risk of long-term or irreversible effects by human activities.’Essentially, the Benguela Current Convention (BCC) will help the three countries to establish and ecosystem approach to managing the BCLME,’ said Dr Hashali Hamukuaya, BCC’s Executive Secretary.An interim agreement which established the BCC was signed in 2007 by ministers from Namibia, South Africa and Angola, representing fisheries, environment, tourism, mining, urbanisation and energy.The draft convention was finalised in February this year and supported by the Ministerial Conference in March. Now that the convention text has been scrutinized by the legislative departments of the three countries, signing thereof is expected to take place in September.Once signed, the convention will go through the ratification process in the three countries and should be completed by December 31 2011.

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