Africa’s Blue Economic system – it’s time for Motion, not Phrases

As we collect within the lovely metropolis of Good for the Third United Nations Ocean Convention (UNOC3) underneath the very important theme of “Accelerating motion and mobilising all actors to preserve and sustainably use the ocean,” we stand at a pivotal second for international ocean governance and Africa’s blue economic system transformation.

Africa’s Ocean Crucial

The numbers inform a compelling story that underscores Africa’s basic relationship with the ocean. Africa’s blue economic system, valued at as much as $450 billion yearly, presents a outstanding alternative for development and improvement. It performs an important function in attaining Agenda 2063, particularly Aim Six, which highlights the blue economic system as a key driver of accelerated financial development. This sector is important to realizing our imaginative and prescient of The Africa We Need.

Our 38 coastal and island states, with their 47,000 kilometers of shoreline surrounded by three oceans and 7 seas, home 85 business ports that function gateways to international markets.

However Africa’s blue wealth extends far past our shores. Our 677 lakes, together with among the world’s largest freshwater our bodies, and 63 transboundary river basins are the lifeblood of inland communities. Greater than 38% of our inhabitants lives inside 100 kilometers of the coast, with these marine and freshwater sources using practically 50 million Africans at this time—with projections to achieve 85 million by 2035. Amongst them are 13.5 million small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers who kind the spine of our meals safety, contributing roughly US$24 billion to continental GDP.

It’s projected that our blue economic system might exceed $1.5 trillion yearly by 2050. This isn’t merely financial potential—it’s the sustainable future we should construct collectively.

AUDA-NEPAD’s Strategic Alignment

AUDA-NEPAD’s mandate to coordinate and execute precedence regional and continental tasks for accelerated realization of Agenda 2063 finds profound resonance in UNOC3’s targets. Our function in strengthening capability of African Union Member States, advancing knowledge-based advisory assist, and serving because the continent’s technical interface with improvement companions positions us as a important bridge between international ocean commitments and African implementation realities.

For Africa, the blue economic system transcends typical understanding. Our imaginative and prescient encompasses not solely coastal waters and conventional maritime sectors, but additionally our huge inland waters—our nice lakes, mighty rivers, and wetland programs—that maintain hundreds of thousands of livelihoods throughout each coastal and landlocked states. It honors our communities’ deep cultural connections to water that span millennia, acknowledges girls as central actors, and integrates conventional data alongside fashionable science.

Africa’s Unified Voice and Strategic Priorities

The African session held in Tangier, Morocco, in October 2024, with participation of over 500 younger folks and African Member States, has crystallized our continent’s collective voice for UNOC3. Africa acknowledges that our oceans and aquatic inland ecosystems face a number of stresses from useful resource overexploitation, insufficient governance, fast coastal inhabitants development, habitat degradation, and air pollution.

UNOC3’s theme aligns seamlessly with Africa’s Blue Economic system Technique imaginative and prescient of “an inclusive and sustainable blue economic system that considerably contributes to Africa’s transformation and development.” Our response addresses the convention’s three precedence areas:

Precedence 1: Multilateral Ocean Processes – Africa commits to strengthening implementation of frameworks like UNCLOS whereas advancing our Africa Ocean Governance Technique to reinforce coordination and deal with governance gaps.

Precedence 2: Blue Economic system Finance – We advocate for progressive financing mechanisms that assist Africa’s Blue Economic system Technique, specializing in sustainable fisheries, marine tourism, renewable ocean power, and maritime transport improvement.

Precedence 3: Ocean Science and Data – Africa emphasizes the important want for capability constructing, expertise switch, and strengthening marine science capabilities to tell evidence-based ocean insurance policies.

The Crucial for Acceleration

But the onerous fact stays: Africa’s blue economic system potential stays largely unrealized. Whereas we’ve made progress in creating frameworks and techniques, implementation just isn’t matching the tempo of the challenges we face.

Local weather change just isn’t ready. Ocean acidification just isn’t ready. Plastic air pollution just isn’t ready. Unlawful fishing just isn’t ready. And neither ought to we.

As we embrace the convention’s name for “accelerating motion and mobilizing all actors,” the key phrases are essential: acceleration and motion. No more research. No more methods. No more statements. However tangible, measurable acceleration of implementation.