March 29, 2024 (Juba, Juba): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), convened a two-day meeting in Juba, Republic of South Sudan, to strengthen the National Blue Economy (BE) Coordination Platform.
Representatives from various South Sudan ministries and authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Mining, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Ministry of Transport (River Transport), Ministry of Energy and Dams and other UN Agencies such as FAO participated in the meeting.
Dr. Eshete Dejen, on his welcoming remarks on behalf of Mr. Daher Elmi, the Director of Agriculture and Environment of IGAD Secretariat pointed out the commitment of IGAD to champion Blue Economy in the continent (Africa). He thanked SIDA for the financial support to implement some of the pillars of the IGAD Blue Economy Strategy and appreciated inclusion of the inland IGAD Member countries (Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda) to benefit in this project intervention.
Amb. Ador Akok Athuai, Director of Regional Organizations Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan in his opening remarks appreciated IGAD’s for the support to develop the Blue Economy of South Sudan. He also appreciated the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of South Sudan, the lead national focal ministry for South Sudan for coordinating the organization of this consultative meeting.
Honorable Makuel M. Kaang, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, speaking on the official opening emphasized South Sudan’s huge Blue Economy potential and the Government’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for the development of its blue economy resources. He explained the approval of the National Blue Economy Strategy of the Republic of South Sudan, which was developed and endorsed with the support of IGAD. He highlighted the importance of coordination among the Blue Economy sectors in order to mobilize resource to implement the National Blue Economy Strategy.
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 Blue Economy 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 Blue Economy Strategy.
- Discussing mechanisms to integrate Blue Economy into national development plans.
The key outcomes of the meeting were:
- National Blue Economy platform with fixed members and terms of reference established.
- National Blue Economy governance structure for the Republic of South Sudan proposed.
- Initiation of project development to implement the national BE Strategy.
- recommendations Formulated to integrate the BE activities with existing initiatives.
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.
