The Nairobi Convention Clearinghouse and information sharing system is designed to provide a one-stop mechanism that promotes the advertising, discovery, access, dissemination and use of the increasingly diverse and comprehensive data using the decentralized capabilities of the Internet. Through a clearinghouse and a Web interface, the system provides an integration of information held by numerous departments, institutions and organizations in order to deal with the vast array of policy, management, scientific and other practical issues of the coastal and marine environment.

In essence, the goal of the Nairobi Convention Clearinghouse is to improve the coordination and participation of the Western Indian Ocean countries in implementing the Convention for the protection, management and development of the marine and coastal environment of Eastern Africa Region. This is in accordance with Decision 4/8 of the contracting parties to the Convention. The contracting States are Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Somalia, France (Reunion), Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius.