The Joint Conferences of the Contracting Parties (COP) of the Abidjan Convention for the Cooperation in the Protection of the Marine and Coastal Environment in the West and Central Africa Region and the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region took place on 7 November 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The session marked the eighth session of the Abidjan Convention and the fifth session of the Nairobi Convention. The Joint COPs were followed by a meeting of the Joint Heads of Delegation of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on 8 November.
The first jointly held COPs were organized in collaboration with the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) and NEPAD, under the umbrella of the African Union, and hosted by the Government of South Africa. The Joint COPs met under the theme ‘Building on Success‘, and focused on the progress and successes achieved by governments, key partners and stakeholders towards the implementation of the work programmes of the two Conventions and the Environment Action Plan of the Environment Initiative of NEPAD.
The COPs for each agreement took a number of decisions related to the specific agreement, including Work Programmes for the period 2008–2011 and strengthening partnerships and institutional mechanisms. The meeting of the Joint Heads of Delegation of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions and NEPAD discussed and adopted the Joint Declaration of the Abidjan Convention and Nairobi Convention on the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment.
Link to further information
IISD RS Briefing Note