The Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA) on 25th February 2026 signed an MoC with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) to strengthen cooperation in the development of hydrographic services across Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa.

The MoC, signed by the Secretary General of MOESNA and the Director General of RCMRD, establishes formal working relations and sets out a framework for collaboration in hydrography, marine geospatial data management, nautical charting, capacity building, and technical support to Member States.

This strategic partnership reflects a shared commitment to enhancing maritime safety, supporting sustainable blue economy initiatives, and strengthening marine environmental protection through improved hydrographic data and services. Accurate hydrographic information is fundamental to safe navigation, efficient port operations, and informed marine spatial planning among others.

Through this collaboration, MOESNA and RCMRD will jointly mobilize technical expertise, promote technology transfer, support the establishment and strengthening of National Hydrographic Committees and Offices, and coordinate and facilitate regional hydrographic surveys and chart production. The partnership will also facilitate capacity development through training, knowledge exchange, and the application of advanced geospatial technologies.

At the signing ceremony, the leadership of both organisations underscored the importance of regional cooperation and building synergies in addressing persistent gaps in areas like hydrographic coverage and marine geospatial infrastructure hence reducing costly duplication of efforts. They emphasized that the MoC represents a major step toward building resilient, data-driven maritime governance systems capable of supporting trade, safety, environmental stewardship, and regional integration.

The MoC comes at a time when maritime transport continues to play a critical role in regional economic development and connectivity. By formalizing collaboration between MOESNA and RCMRD, the two institutions aim to accelerate the modernization of hydrographic services and contribute meaningfully to sustainable maritime development across the region.