OMAOC has successfully established close collaborative ties with a wide range of external partners. The main partner organizations include: the European Union, the Canadian Industrial Development Agency (CIDA), the Aid and Cooperation Fund (FAC/France), the General Administration for Development Cooperation (Belgium), the Government of Iceland and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). OMAOC has also endeavored to support the execution and continuation of certain development projects, even after the end of external financing, by improving the way of organizing and financing their planning and execution.
Examples of methods of organization and financing, planning and execution of recent technical cooperation projects and international partner organizations are, among others:
- The liberalization/privatization of maritime transport services, the restructuring of the councils of shippers with a view to organizing them more towards the provision of services, private sector participation in port operations.
The World Bank, within the framework of the Transport Policy Program in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- The effectiveness of maritime academies, maritime safety and environmental protection, the procedures for implementing Flag State Control by the Port State, the facilitation of maritime transport. International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- An advanced Cargo Information System (SIAM), the Computerization of Customs Procedures (ASYCUDA) and multimodal transport networks. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- Promoting investments in the field of cabotage and port services. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
- Implementation of the Almaty Action Program on transit transport setting out the specific needs of landlocked developing countries. - Office of the United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries;
- United Nations Office for Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Islands/Developing States;- The promotion of the African Maritime Charter which provides a framework for the achievement of the maritime objectives contained in the project to create an African Maritime Community. African Union (AU) members, of the GATT/WTO Agreement and especially the Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Strategies have been adopted which aim to strengthen the national capacities of Member States, to increase their efficiency and competitiveness, so that they benefit from the liberalization of access to markets. OMAOC has also adopted programs for the implementation of navigation safety and environmental protection policies.
OMAOC emphasizes the following actions: - Encourage the participation of the private sector in the operation of ships, particularly in cabotage, through the acquisition/chartering of ships and the strengthening of cooperation between regional operators and foreign shipping companies operating in the sub-region;
- Develop cabotage networks and establish other networks to connect collection ports to distribution ports; develop an efficient multi-modal transport system for the sub-region;
- Promote port development and facilitation, with the primary concern being the establishment of a continuous and cost-effective rotation of ships, including the creation of special berths and special conditions for landlocked countries;
- Strengthen the capacity of shippers' councils to effectively protect and represent users of the shipping industry;
- Strengthen regional maritime academies of Abidjan and Accra, as well as the Nigerian Academy of Oron so that they provide training at all levels of the maritime, fishing and oil industry;
- Establish national transport observatories which will be coordinated by a regional observatory, based at the Permanent Secretariat of the Organization, in order to have at the sub-regional level a computerized database, up to date and identical;
Promote maritime safety and environmental protection through the development of effective emergency plans for the prevention and fight against pollution; strengthen the efficiency of maritime administrations and implement Flag State Control and Port State Control of Ships measures. |
