Honourable Sylvia Makgone, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, 

His Excellency, Amb Bard Hopland, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Norway to the African Union; 

Representatives of AU Member States and RECs, 

Representatives of Partner Organisations, None State Parties, Youth and Women Groups 

Distinguished delegates and participants following us virtually, 

All protocols duly observed 

On behalf of the African Union Commission, it is my singular pleasure to address you today at the opening of the Blue Economy Stakeholders Workshop in the beautiful city of Windhoek, which I consider a home away from home. At the outset, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Namibia and the citizens of this great nation for the warm hospitality accorded to all delegations that came to attend this important gathering. 

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 

The Blue Economy represents a new frontier for the development of the African continent and a milestone towards the realization of the “Africa We Want”, as contained in our development blueprint, Agenda 2063. Two thirds of Africa are coastal and island states, with jurisdiction over 13 million square km of marine [territory] including approximately 6.5 million square km of continental shelf. As if that is not enough, 65% of the African continent is covered with a network of rivers, lakes, aquifers and other freshwater sources. The Blue Economy seeks to protect these fragile aquatic resources, while advancing the sustainable development of sectors which hinge upon them.  

The Blue Economy Stakeholders Workshop is being convened at this juncture to harness the inputs of member states, RECs, as well as youth, women and science communities to enable us setup priorities for the next five years and understand the most pressing needs of Africa in the blue landscape. This is our first consultative engagement with the people of Africa since we formally established the Blue Economy portfolio within the African Union Commission. It is therefore important that we give due attention to women, youth, indigenous and vulnerable communities to ensure a socially inclusive blue economy, while the voices of the scientific community will allow us to ensure that we are doing this in a sustainable way. The private sector for its part remains key to unlocking blue economy potential including investments in various projects. 

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 

The concept of a Blue Economy thus spans a range of activities in established sectors such as fisheries and blue foods, tourism, maritime transport and shipping, as well as emerging and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) sectors such as marine biotechnology, marine robotics, blue carbon finance and marine and aquatic renewable energy. Invariably, the ocean represents the final frontier for exploration and for innovation.  

However, Africa cannot fully benefit from its marine and aquatic resources as these are threatened by multiple anthropogenic sources. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution including source-to-sea pollution, as well as threats to security like IUU fishing, piracy, illicit trade inter alia. These are seriously threatening the health of our oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and waters and thus affecting the productiveness of our blue economy.  

Our capacity to tackle these, as well as meaningfully optimise the various sectors of the blue economy, is hindered by a lack of data; weak institutional frameworks and coordination; a serious skills gap and lack of financial resources. These are some of the challenges that we need to address at all levels of our development. 

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a serious blow to African economies, livelihoods and to our food production. All sectors have been impacted, and countries reliant on coastal tourism have borne the brunt of the world shutting down, while we are currently facing a crisis in the world’s shipping sector. Africa has also found itself scrambling for access to vital vaccines, when in fact we have the capacity to produce our own. Besides, we have all the ingredients to establish a biotechnology sector and many pharmaceutical solutions can be found in our seas and oceans.  

The COVID-19 has also made it more urgent to give due attention to our youth. As the world’s youngest continent, our young people, especially our Millennials, are once again finding themselves grappling with an economic crisis that has severely diminished their hopes for economic opportunities. The time is now for us to find urgent and innovative solutions to job creation despite the economic meltdown. The dire situation of our youth render them susceptible to drugs and radicalisation which pose a threat to our civilization. 

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 

While the temptation to focus on “economic recovery at all costs” might be strong, we must remember that many solutions for Africa’s development can be found in our seas, oceans and waters, but only if these resources are well managed. This is why, the implementation of the Blue Economy concept in Africa must hinge on sustainability and inclusiveness. The Blue Economy should encompass the expansion of scientific knowledge on our marine and freshwater resources; the enhancement of resilience in coastal and riparian areas; the application of conservation and natural capital accounting principles and planning of multiple-use areas to manage ecologically sensitive zones, and the protection of these resources without which a productive blue economy cannot be achieved.  

The Blue Economy Strategy works in complementarity with the Green Recovery Action Plan (GRAP) that the African Union Commission launched in July 2021 to reconcile post COVID-19 economic recovery and environmental sustainability, including through oceanic nature based solutions and the blue economy. 

Early this month, the world met in Glasgow at COP26, where we failed to lock in ambitious targets for mitigation, finance and modalities for loss and damage. It was however encouraging to note that oceans and marine ecosystems were recognised as a key tool in the fight against climate change. Africa is home to the world’s largest seagrass meadow, and vast expanses of wetlands and mangroves and other “blue” assets. It is clear therefore that Africa is providing not only raw resources to the world but also ecosystem services.

It is time for Africa to take full ownership of all its resources, and this position must be articulated in the upcoming global meetings, at CBD COP15 in Kunming, China in 2022, at the 7th World Water Week in Senegal in 2022, at the UN Oceans Conference in Portugal also in 2022, and others. We can no longer allow others to define Africa’s narrative for us. 

To this end, it is important to harness the voices of all member states, RECs, youth, women, scientists, private sector, and this is what the Workshop sets out to do. It is my hope that everyone present here and virtually will participate actively, present their views and ideas, to advance the Blue Economy agenda of our continent. 

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 

As I conclude, I would like to recognize the generous support that the Blue Economy programme is receiving from the Government of the Kingdom of Norway. It is not by coincidence that H.E. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Norway is present at this workshop, but rather because the Kingdom of Norway has proven to be a strategic partner for Africa on Blue Economy. 

Thank you to all of you for your kind attention and I look forward to fruitful deliberations and concrete outcomes of the workshop 

Obrigada.