Programme Cooperation Agreement 2012 – 2013

SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES reported from West African States

Extract from a message received from Dr Jerreh Barrow, Acting Director, Geological Department, Office of the President, The Gambia “The West Africa Shelf Project has had many positive benefits… for The Gambia. In particular we have benefited from the data acquisition, the training and capacity building program and the experience sharing during the workshops. Through the West African Continental Shelf Program supported by the Kingdom of Norway, The Gambia is on track to meet its obligations under Article 76 of UNCLOS and has established cooperation and understanding with neighboring states with respect to matters of common regional interest.” 18 November 2013 Extract from a letter received from Dr Jinnah S Momoh, Chairman of Technical Experts, on behalf of the Sierra Leone Technical Experts and the Government of Sierra Leone “The West African Shelf Project with funding provided by the Norwegian Government is highly valued and appreciated by the Government of Sierra Leone. A lot of progress has been made in all the stages…along with the other six countries. Sierra Leonean experts were involved in the actual collection of the data which gave them insight into the whole process. Training workshops held in GRID-Arendal helped to build their capacity to properly analyze the data…given the continued support and guidance from GRID-Arendal, Sierra Leone is now on a solid footing to compile the relevant documentation for its submission to UNCLOS.” 15 November 2013 Extract from a message received from Mr Ahmed Tejan Bah, Geologist, Sierra Leone Petroleum Directorate “I have attended the boundary delimitation workshops as a member of the task force from Sierra Leone. The workshops have given me the opportunity to analyse new geophysical data and develop the arguments to support our case for extended continental shelf. I am very much looking forward to defending our submission before the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The team from GRID-Arendal has been instrumental in getting us to this point. One very good part of the programme for me personally has been all the information that we have collected on the West African continental margin. I would very much like to participate with the team from GRID-Arendal in turning this information into a text book and learning materials for students studying geology at the University of Sierra Leone. The offshore petroleum industry is vital for the development of our country and a better understanding of the geology will help our students get jobs in the industry.” 7 November 2013 Extract from a message received from Mr Celedonio Placido Vieira, Director of Marketing and Business Development of Petroguin, Guinea – Bissau “Being in Arendal four or five times, I had the opportunity for learning a lot from GRID-Arendal specialists in order to build the technical basis for the submission of my country and that fact let me to keep believing strongly that our dream to make the extension of the shelf of my country beyond 200 nautical miles will, one day, become reality. I had also the opportunity for exchanging technically very important issues related to our common deal with colleagues from other West African countries.” 8 November 2013

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