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Africa Needs Coordinated Structures for Greater Integration in Blue Economy – UNDP

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Africa Needs Coordinated Structures for Greater Integration in Blue Economy – UNDP


Luanda — The resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Angola, Gabriel Dava, advocated on Wednesday in Luanda for greater investment from African countries and the creation of institutions, structures, or coordination mechanisms dedicated to the blue economy, with the aim of accelerating integration in this sector.

Addressing the 3rd Edition of the African Conference on the Blue Economy in the Angolan capital, Luanda, the UNDP official stressed that only in this way will countries be committed to creating strategies to attract and transform their potential, mobilizing resources, and leveraging strategic partnerships.

“Strong institutions are the foundation upon which the sustainable growth of the blue economy will be built, and we must unleash the full transformative potential of this sector,” he said.

Gabriel Dava underscored that the African Union Commission is seeking to capitalize on a new generation of competitive and innovative companies prepared for investment by strengthening ecosystems to facilitate access to financing and support the growth of companies led by young people and women.


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The initiative, he said, aims to transform untapped potential into sustainable economic opportunities, while simultaneously laying the foundations for a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous blue economy.

Fahari Marwa, the director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on his turn, acknowledged the event’s relevance to African economic growth and sustainable development.

He said the African Union Agenda identifies the economic potential of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and their resources as one of the main drivers of the continent’s social transformation, creating jobs, improving lives, and promoting inclusive economic growth.

The official said the SADC has developed the Blue Economy Strategy or Blue Economy Implementation Plan 2023-2032, which creates a regional framework for the sustainable development, management, and use of coastal resources for the benefit of more than 380 million people at the level of that decade.

“…The strategy is aligned with the strategy of the African blue economy and the aspirations of the Organization of African Unity’s Agenda 2063,” he emphasized.

The event, which concludes on Saturday, takes place under the motto “Political Leadership for the Transformation of the Blue Economy in Africa” and aims to move from strategy to concrete actions and make a qualitative leap, taking into account the agenda to be fulfilled, segmented into two days of technical debates and one day of high-level meetings.