The exploitation of maritime and coastal natural resources and the flow of trade over shipping lanes and ports are important for regional economies, livelihood, and food sources cannot be underestimated.

Maritime safety and security, maritime trade and the preservation of the marine environment are crucial for ECOWAS economies and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The overexploitation of marine resources, rapid degradation of the marine environment through pollution, coastal erosion and rising sea level, and criminal acts at sea have given urgency to finding coherent responses to these complex and interrelated challenges.

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