Regional Dialogue Platform on the Northwest African Atlantic Route 2025
From October 29-30, 2025, Dakar hosted a Regional Dialogue Platform addressing the North-West African Atlantic Route—the longest, most complex, and deadliest migratory route connecting West African coasts to European territories. Organized by the Foundation forHumanitarian Action at Sea (FHAS) in partnership with Senegal's High Authority for Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environmental Protection (HASSMAR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the event brought together maritime authorities, rescue coordination centers, UN agencies, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), including regional Red Cross / Red Crescent societies. Participants discussed operational challenges, analyzed migration dynamics, and explored ways to strengthen safety at sea and regional cooperation.
The dialogue resulted in a joint roadmap structured around five priority areas: enhancing maritime surveillance and information sharing, consolidating search and rescue capacities, harmonizing post-rescue procedures, institutionalizing regional dialogue mechanisms, and mobilizing maritime sector partners. Participants committed to maintaining this collaborative framework, with follow-up actions including the development of shared databases, standardized training programs, joint simulation exercises, and a monitoring framework to track progress. This initiative represents a significant step toward establishing trust-based cooperation among diverse stake holders dedicated to protecting human lives at sea.
From October 29-30, 2025, Dakar hosted a Regional Dialogue Platform addressing the North-West African Atlantic Route—the longest, most complex, and deadliest migratory route connecting West African coasts to European territories. Organized by the Foundation forHumanitarian Action at Sea (FHAS) in partnership with Senegal's High Authority for Maritime Safety, Security and Marine Environmental Protection (HASSMAR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the event brought together maritime authorities, rescue coordination centers, UN agencies, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), including regional Red Cross / Red Crescent societies. Participants discussed operational challenges, analyzed migration dynamics, and explored ways to strengthen safety at sea and regional cooperation.
The dialogue resulted in a joint roadmap structured around five priority areas: enhancing maritime surveillance and information sharing, consolidating search and rescue capacities, harmonizing post-rescue procedures, institutionalizing regional dialogue mechanisms, and mobilizing maritime sector partners. Participants committed to maintaining this collaborative framework, with follow-up actions including the development of shared databases, standardized training programs, joint simulation exercises, and a monitoring framework to track progress. This initiative represents a significant step toward establishing trust-based cooperation among diverse stake holders dedicated to protecting human lives at sea.