Guinea tasks newly established National Council for Fisheries (CNPAEM) to act as country’s FiTI National MSG

Conakry, 23-30 August 2023. The FiTI International Secretariat participated in a series of meetings with stakeholders in the Republic of Guinea to support the country in finalising its FiTI application process, in particular establishing its FiTI National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG).

A key objective of this country mission was to discuss with stakeholders whether it is desirable and feasible (from a regulatory and operational point of view) that the newly created Conseil National pour la Pêche, l’Aquaculture et l’économie Maritime (CNPAEM) would also act as the country’s FiTI’s National MSG, instead of creating an additional stakeholder mechanism only for the FiTI.

The main workshop was chaired by Mr Amara Camara KABA, Secretary General of Guinea’s Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM), who recalled in his opening statement on behalf of H.E. Charlotte DAFFE, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, the authorities’ commitment to finalising the country’s membership of the FiTI and to promote good governance in the sector. Mr KABA stated that “the promotion of good governance, including transparency, advocated by the President of the Transition, His Excellency Colonel Mamadi DOUMBOUYA, Head of State, has been a national priority. The government’s firm commitment is reflected in legislation, the Interim Reference Program of the government, the Strategic Fisheries Plan 2023 – 2025, as well as in regulatory texts adopted in the sector. This priority has been enshrined by His Excellency Doctor Bernard GOUMOU, Head of Government, in the mission statement of the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, whose sole concern is the responsible and sustainable management of fisheries resources“.

A major outcome of this multi-stakeholder workshop, which was attended by representatives of the administration, businesses and civil society, was the unanimous decision to task the new CNPAEM with the implementation of Guinea’s FiTI process and to act as the country’s FiTI National MSG.

All stakeholders agreed that this will create a much stronger link between transparency and decision-making in Guinea’s fisheries sector, instead of establishing an additional National MSG just for the FiTI process. Guinea becomes the first country to utilise an existing multi-stakeholder mechanism for the FiTI implementation process.

The CNPAEM – which has a multi-stakeholder composition of 21 members, equally distributed between representatives of the government, business and civil society – is now tasked with the responsibility of guiding, supervising and progressively improving the implementation of the FiTI in Guinea. The CNPAEM must also ensure that the implementation of the FiTI contributes to an informed debate on fisheries governance in Guinea and any other issues of national interest for the development of the fisheries sector.

Furthermore, it was decided that the President of the CNPAEM should come from the public administration and be appointed by the Minister in Charge of Fisheries, whereas civil society organisation will be appointing the Vice-President of the CNPAEM.

Each stakeholder group must now designate its representatives through an independent process to finalize the establishment of the CNPAEM by decree of the Minister of Fisheries.