UNECA chief supports African blue economy



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Published on
28.11.2018 at 17:21
by
APA News

Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said ECA would continue to be ready to "help member states develop their national blue economy strategies. ". Nairobi, said Tuesday in Nairobi that the commission would work with the African Union (AU) to set up a regional framework for the blue economy, adding that the blue economy had considerable potential to support the socio-economic transformation of the global economy.

"The wealth that can be generated from the ocean is estimated at $ 4 trillion, the equivalent of the GDP of the East Asian and Pacific countries in the world. 2017. Goods and services account for about $ 2.5 trillion of this amount each year, "said Songwe.

The three-day conference was organized under the theme: "The Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", with the main focus being the leaders' debate.

Many leaders from around the world, including heads of state and government, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, heads of UN agencies and other international entities , have all committed to mobilize the will and resources needed to sustainably revive the blue economy.

Kenyan President and host of the event, Uhuru Kenyatta, is committed to "taking the lead" by adopting "appropriate policies, strategies and mechanisms to exploit the blue economy in order to revitalize our national economies and create greater opportunities and jobs for our people. " . "

He urged world leaders to work together to manage global aquatic resources for sustainable global development.

President Kenyatta added, "We will also aggressively fight illegal and unregulated fishing, and we have taken steps to ensure the safety and security of our collective waters."

Songwe congratulated Kenyatta on the recent launch of the Kenya Coastguard Service, which "will enhance security in the region, contribute to the prevention of marine pollution and the prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing" in particular, Kenya would lose about US $ 118 million a year due to IUU fishing in its waters.

Ms. Songwe emphasized that it is essential to take advantage of the potential of the blue economy for economic diversification and to do so in an inclusive way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

She added that the African Free Trade Agreement can play an important role in promoting the development of the blue economy in Africa, given its role in facilitating the movement of goods and people reducing the cost of trade between African countries.

ECA has helped Member States to develop different components of the blue economy. He produced a guide entitled "The Blue Economy in Africa: A Policy Manual". This handbook is a tool to help Member States develop their national blue economy strategies.

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