EAHC 16 - 2021

The 16th plenary session of the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission will take place in Lisbon, at the premises of the Hydrographic Institute (IH) from 28 September to 1 October 2021.

The Commission is composed of the Member States of the International Hydrographic Organization (OHI) bathed in the Eastern Atlantic, Cameroon, France, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal and Spain and has as its associates the other coastal states of the region and other external states with interest/responsibility in the region.

Since its inception, the Commission has endeavoured to encourage the participation of many non-IHO States in the region. The main activities are: monitoring and improving the state of nautical information, improving the coverage of hydrographic surveys and nautical cartography, developing and implementing INTernational nautical charts and electronic cartography coverage schemes, raising awareness of the importance of hydrography in the region, and promoting state capacity building, as well as sharing information and knowledge. In the present decade the Commission's activities are particularly interested in the fact that many are associated with the Decade of the United Nations Oceans.

Portugal once again took over the presidency of the Commission in September 2020 and until September 2022 in the person of Rear Admiral Carlos Ventura Soares, Director General of the Hydrographic Institute.