The Shelf Programme: A decade of successfully helping to secure the sovereign maritime rights of developing Coastal States

Successful Capacity Building

The foundations of the Shelf Programme´s capacity building

Give unbiased information Have meetings allow time for shaking hands to build trust and lasting friendships Understand the choices Dare to make the decisions All questions asked and answered Find the hard workers and the champions Have a clear goal Demystify the task Process information Clear the way for the use of the gained knowledge Encourage sharing and transfer of old and newly acquired skills The ownership of the task will grow and so will readiness for the next

The Shelf Programme has worked hard to build a sustain- able network model to enhance the impact of capaci- ty-building in the coastal States. All parties recognize the importance of strong local ownership of initiatives and the continued development of skills and knowledge that could generate and support national projects after the submis- sions were completed.

In order to successfully develop the technical skills and scien- tific knowledge necessary for States to complete the submis- sions for extended continental shelf, the Shelf Programme adopted a capacity building process focused on building a broad range of skills and fostering regional cooperation. The success of the regional cooperation has resulted in coordi- nated submissions between neighbouring States and the lodgement of a number of joint submissions, including the historicWest African seven-State submission.

A DECADE OF SUCCESSFULLY HELPING TO SECURE THE MARITIME RIGHTS OF DEVELOPING COASTAL STATES 16