Marine Litter: President seeks to strengthen cooperation with 20 African countries bordering the Atlantic

Praia, 2 April (Inforpress) – The President of the Republic has proposed to his counterparts from 20 African countries bordering the Atlantic that they strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation in order to jointly address the maritime challenges facing the region.

José Maria Neves' action was expressed in a letter, following his recent mission on March 21st to the Integral Nature Reserve on the deserted island of Santa Luzia, considered the largest protected marine area in Cabo Verde, in his capacity as Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance and Champion of the African Union for the Preservation of Africa's Natural and Cultural Heritage.

Joined by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Cabo Verde and international organisations, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Patrícia Portela de Sousa, as well as environmental and civil society organisations, the Head of State was able to witness first-hand, as he reported in his letter to his counterparts, “an alarming situation”.

Neves considered that this concern "transcends the borders of Cabo Verde," given the systematic accumulation of tons of plastic waste on the country's coast, brought in by Atlantic ocean currents.

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