February 28, 2024 (NAIVASHA, Kenya): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with the project “Enhancing Blue Economy in the IGAD Member States for Biodiversity Conservations and Livelihood Diversification”, financially supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), convened a two-day (27 – 28 Feb 2024) a consultative meeting in Naivasha, Kenya, to strengthen the Kenya’s National Blue Economy (BE) Coordination Platform. IGAD’s Blue Economy Strategy is focused on fostering an inclusive and sustainable Blue Economy in the Horn of Africa region. Grounded in principles of circular economy, good governance, and environmental and social sustainability, the strategy aims to structure Blue Economy implementation at both national and regional levels. By enhancing cooperation, regional integration, and support to member states, IGAD seeks to accelerate the realization of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy’s objectives.
Government representatives from various Blue Economy related Kenyan ministries, agencies and authorities, and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) participated in the meeting. The main objective of this meeting was to strengthen national Blue Economy coordination platforms, improve governance, assess enabling tools, provide technical support, and integrate Blue Economy strategies into national development plan.
Dr. Davies Makilla, the Blue Economy Focal Point and Acting Director of Blue Economy in the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries of the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs of Kenya, in his official opening stated that there is a need to review and revise the draft BE coordination mechanism to suit the need for the implementation of the National BE Strategy. He further mentioned that the Government of Kenya continues championing BE and there is a good relationship among the different BE State Departments.
The objectives of the NBECP meeting were:
- Strengthening the National Blue Economy Coordination Platform in each IGAD member state.
- Enhancing Blue Economy governance nationally by fostering coordination among BE sectors.
- Assessing the necessary enabling tools (financing, capacity building, partnerships, and innovations) and management components required for the implementation of BE strategies and interventions.
- Providing technical assistance to IGAD member states in mobilizing resources for the implementation of their BE Strategy.
- Discussing mechanisms to integrate BE into national development plans.
The key outcomes of the meeting were:
- Functional national Blue Economy platform with terms of reference established.
- National Blue Economy national governance structured proposed.
- Initiation of project development to implement the national BE Strategy.
- recommendations Formulated to integrate the BE Strategy into national development plans.
Background
The African Union has identified Blue Economy (BE) development as a priority goal towards achieving the aspiration on ‘A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development within the context of the Africa Union Agenda 2063’. Africa’s Blue Economy can be a major contributor to continental transformation, sustainable economic progress, and social development. Africa’s Blue Economy Strategy, launched under the theme “Developing a sustainable blue economy; increasing momentum for Africa’s Blue Growth”, envisions an inclusive and sustainable blue economy that significantly contributes to the continent’s transformation and growth. The objective of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy is to guide the development of an inclusive and sustainable blue economy that becomes a significant contributor to continental transformation and growth, through advancing knowledge on marine and aquatic biotechnology, environmental sustainability, the growth of Africa-wide shipping industry, the development of sea, river and lake transport, the management of fishing activities on these aquatic spaces, and the exploitation and beneficiation of deep-sea minerals and other resources.
With the financial support from the Government of Sweden for the project “Enhancing Blue Economy in the IGAD Member States for Biodiversity Conservations and Livelihood Diversification”, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is implementing a 5-year Blue Economy strategy (2021 – 2025) and Implementation Plan (BESIP), aligned with Africa’s Blue Economy Strategy. The vision of IGAD’s Blue Economy strategy is to develop an inclusive and sustainable Blue Economy that significantly contributes to the Horn of Africa’s transformation.