Yaounde Architecture

In June 2013, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to lay the basis for a common regional strategy to prevent and prosecute illicit activities in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The Yaoundé Summit led to the creation of three mechanisms: the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the Heads of States Declaration and the Memorandum of Understanding between regional organisations. This set of instruments inspired the elaboration of the Yaoundé Architecture, illustrated by the picture below.

The Yaoundé Architecture comprises the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC), the coordination and information-sharing structure which connects the Regional Maritime Security Centre for Central Africa (CRESMAC) and the Regional Maritime Security Centre for West Africa (CRESMAO). The coastal space is divided into 5 operational maritime zones where activities are coordinated by five Maritime Multinational Coordination Centres (MMCC).

At the national level, Maritime Operational Centres (MOC) envisaged in each country gather the main stakeholders connected to the action of State at sea (maritime police, customs, fisheries and environment protection), as well as the national navies in charge of the coordination.