Côte d’Ivoire Inaugurates Its Integrated Maritime State Action Operations Centre and Adopts a Manual of Standardised and Harmonised Operating Procedures

The Permanent Secretariat of the Interministerial Committee for State Action at Sea (SPCIM) inaugurated the Integrated Maritime State Action Operations Centre (COI-AEM) on Monday, 12 October 2026. The ceremony also marked the official handover of the Manual of Standardised and Harmonised Operating Procedures (SHOP). These two instruments represent an important milestone in strengthening coordination among the national maritime administrations.

The ceremony took place at the SPCIM headquarters under the chairmanship of Mr Jean Paul Malan, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chair of the Interministerial Committee for State Action at Sea. The Director General of Maritime Affairs, Colonel-Major Julien Yao Kouassi, attended the event alongside officials from the various administrations involved in State Action at Sea, as well as technical and financial partners.

The COI-AEM and the SHOP manual are part of broader efforts to strengthen operational coordination among administrations involved in State Action at Sea. They now serve as essential tools for national maritime governance.

The Integrated Maritime State Action Operations Centre (COI-AEM) is tasked with strengthening maritime domain awareness, supporting decision-making and promoting collaborative, harmonised management of maritime incidents among the various administrations concerned.

The Manual of Standardised and Harmonised Operating Procedures (SHOP), for its part, provides maritime stakeholders with a common framework designed to streamline, harmonise and standardise their joint operations.

Through the establishment of these two mechanisms, the SPCIM aims to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders involved in State Action at Sea.