COP17: Senegal and the African Development Bank Rally Partners Behind IMPAC6
On 29 October 2026, on the sidelines of the COP17 biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Senegal and the African Development Bank (AfDB) brought together countries and international institutions. Their goal: to prepare the 6th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC6), which will take place in Dakar from 22 to 27 March 2027, a first for Africa. The side event was held at the Multilateral Development Banks Pavilion under the theme “Mobilizing partners for the International Marine Protected Areas Congress: advancing marine and coastal biodiversity conservation under the Convention on Biological Diversity” (CBD). It drew many representatives of governments and international organizations.
Senegal Calls on All Stakeholders to Mobilize
Senegal’s Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition, Dr. Aliou Gori Diouf, thanked the partners supporting the country: the AfDB, the other regional development banks, the World Bank, the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM), the Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP), the Island States Commission, and others.
He recalled the congress’s guiding theme: “MPAs for a fair and resilient global ocean.” One of the highlights will be a high-level segment, focused in particular on progress toward Target 3 of the CBD by 2030.
The minister also announced that Senegal is setting up a Trust Fund for Biodiversity Conservation, with feasibility studies well under way. Key deliverables will be presented during IMPAC6, probably at a roundtable. He issued a call to communities, site managers, researchers, and technical and financial partners.
Building on this, Colonel Momar Sow, Director of the DAMCP, traced the history of Senegal’s bid and presented the congress’s thematic content, organization, and youth program.
The AfDB: Making Conservation an Engine of Economic Growth
Mr. Al Hammdou Dorsouma, Division Manager in the AfDB’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department, made the case for an approach that links nature and development. “Our ambition must be to reconcile the preservation of nature with prosperity,” he said.
He stressed the need for lasting commitment: “This requires funding that endures beyond the mere designation of protected areas.” According to the AfDB, grants and concessional finance remain essential. They should be complemented by investment in sustainable fisheries and low-impact tourism. Blue bonds, trust funds, payments for ecosystem services, and “blue carbon” approaches can also help, provided they are rigorous and based on realistic revenues.
He also called for cooperation between states: “Regional cooperation is essential: fish stocks, ecosystems, and climate risks do not stop at national borders.”
Partners Speak with One Voice
Ana Maria Gonzalez Velosa, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, Aissa Regalla de Barros, Director General of IBAP (Guinea-Bissau), and Dr. Ahmed Senhoury, Executive Director of the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM), all confirmed their commitment to stand alongside Senegal. They are calling for concrete partnerships backed by lasting financial commitments. In their view, IMPAC6 is a historic opportunity to strengthen the place of marine protected areas on the global agenda.
The mobilization continues until IMPAC6. Senegal expects communities, site managers, scientists, and donors to get involved now. The Trust Fund for Biodiversity Conservation will be one of the key issues to watch during the congress.