Togo Gives Final Approval to Join Two Maritime Pollution Conventions

Agriculture

Tuesday, 30 June 2026 16:59

Togo Gives Final Approval to Join Two Maritime Pollution Conventions

(Togo First) - Togo's National Assembly on Friday, June 26, 2026, gave final approval to legislation allowing the country to join the 1992 International Convention establishing the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) and the 2000 Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (OPRC-HNS 2000).

The vote completes the legislative process that began several weeks earlier. The two bills were approved on first reading by the National Assembly on May 15, 2026, before being forwarded to the Senate, which adopted them without amendment on May 18, 2026.

Access to an International Compensation Mechanism

According to Edem Kokou Tengue, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Maritime Economy, responsible for Maritime Economy and Coastal Protection, joining the IOPC Funds Convention will give Togo access to an international compensation mechanism for damage caused by oil pollution.

The mechanism provides financial compensation to member states and victims when compensation available under existing liability regimes proves insufficient. Regarding the OPRC-HNS 2000 Protocol, the minister said it will strengthen Togo's capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to marine pollution incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances.

Following the final vote, the government plans to complete the remaining procedures needed for the agreements to enter into force for Togo.

"With this adoption now final, the government will, without delay, undertake the resulting formalities: depositing the instruments of ratification with the International Maritime Organization and adapting our domestic legislation so that the letter of the law becomes a tangible reality for our people," Edem Kokou Tengue said.

According to the government, joining the two agreements forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen maritime governance and improve the protection of the country's coastline. The move comes as port and maritime activity intensifies in the Gulf of Guinea, where environmental risks associated with the transport of oil and hazardous chemicals remain high.

The agreements strengthen Togo's framework for preventing and managing maritime risks while bringing the country further into line with international standards for protecting the marine environment.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

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REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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