Launched in November 2019, the West African Observatory for Biodiversity and Protected Areas (OBAPAO) was initiated as part of the BIOPAMA II program, funded by the European Union. This initiative is one of the flagship actions of BIOPAMA II in West Africa. It aims to strengthen the sustainable management of biodiversity and protected areas by providing data- and information-based tools and services, improving knowledge, and enhancing capacities for better planning and decision-making. Funded by the European Union, BIOPAMA II is implemented globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with technical support from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and UNEP-WCMC.

OBAPAO is implemented by a consortium composed of the Centre de Suivi Écologique (CSE), the West African Marine Protected Areas Network (RAMPAO), the Regional Marine Centre (RMC) of the University of Ghana, and the Agrhymet Regional Center. Several results have been achieved, notably the establishment of the Regional Reference Information System (RRIS), which enables better data and information management to improve decision-making processes for the sustainable management of biodiversity, especially at high-potential conservation sites in the subregion.

After five (5) years of implementation, a sub-regional workshop to officially close the first phase of OBAPAO was held from June 25 to 27, 2025, in Dakar.

The objective of the workshop was to share and validate the results of OBAPAO (2020–2025) achieved within the framework of BIOPAMA, and to officially mark the closure of the funding.