Yaw Osafo-Marfo exchanging documents with his Ivorian counterpart
Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo, leader and chairman of a 16-member Implementation Committee of the ruling of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and his Ivorian counterpart have issued a joint communiqué to work together to implement the ITLOS ruling.
Per the ITLOS ruling on September 23, 2017, the parties are to deposit the coordinates of the line with relevant bodies of the United Nations.
In line with its mandate, Richard Addo Darko, Secretary to the Committee, opined that the 16 members of the Implementation Committee from Ghana held two-day meeting with their Ivorian counterparts from May 14-15, 2018 in Ivory Coast.
At the end of the meeting, a joint communiqué was issued to assure the investor community of the security of their oil concession blocks right up to the Line.
The delegation included Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Gloria Afua Akuffo, Minister for Justice & Attorney General, Peter Amewu, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Lawrence Apaalse, Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy.
The rest are Rear Admiral Beick-Baffour, Ghana Armed Forces-Navy, Richard Addo-Darko and Nana Adusei Poku of GNPC, Francis Ackah, Petroleum Commission and Isaac Larbi, Survey and Mapping Division.
It was aimed at officially informing the Ivorian counterparts of Ghana’s intention to officially deposit the coordinates given by the Special Chamber of ITLOS with relevant agencies of the United Nations.
“It will attract the majors and super majors to our deep water environment to help make new discoveries that will increase Ghana’s oil output and ultimately revenue for our national development,” he stated.
Besides the Seabed resources, this cooperation, if well implemented, would enhance maritime security, especially in areas of illicit bunkering, piracy, and ensure the safety and peaceful co-existence of the fisher folks.
Government intends to put measures in place to optimize exploration of resources discovered that may straddle the boundary, taking into account ground rules for trans-boundary resource management, he declared.
He said such cooperation could also lead to the harmonization of common fiscal and regulatory regimes.
By Solomon Ofori