UN Ocean Conference |13 June 2025
91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ reaffirms blue economy leadership at AU side event
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At the African Union’s high-level side eventat the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) yesterday, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ once again affirmed its role as a continental leader and global pioneer in sustainable blue economy development.
Representing 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, the principal secretary of the Department of Blue Economy, Phillianne Ernesta, delivered an intervention that underscored the island nation’s strategic approaches and achievements, as well as its continued commitment to ocean sustainability.
The side event, themed ‘Accelerating Action to Meet Africa’s Sustainable Blue Economy Aspirations’,convened key African leaders, technical experts, and global partners to assess progress, share success models, and mobilise actions toward Agenda 2063 and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
During her intervention, PS Ernesta highlighted a number of 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’ strategic achievements that have positioned the country as a global leader in the blue economy. She began by underscoring the importance of strong institutional foundations where 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ established its Department of Blue Economy in 2015, demonstrating early leadership will and foresight. This was followed by the launch of the Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap in 2018, a comprehensive governance tool supported by a robust Action Plan and Monitoring & Evaluation framework, which guides implementation and ensures accountability.
She further emphasised 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’ investments in capacity building and ocean literacy, noting that the country has championed education and training across all age groups on a wide array of ocean-related topics. These include ocean governance, marine biotechnology, marine spatial planning, and more. In a pioneering move, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ is also the first in Africa to integrated ocean literacy into its national school curriculum, ensuring that future generations are equipped to steward marine resources sustainably.
PS Ernesta also drew attention to 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’ Blue financial innovations. Most notably, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ was the first nation to issue a sovereign blue bond, mobilising US $15 million to support the transition to sustainable fisheries. The country also implemented a landmark debt-for-nature swap, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, which not only released financing for environmental conservation projects but also supported the development of a Marine Spatial Plan covering the entirety of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone. As a result, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ has designated 32% of its EEZ as Marine Protected Areas, a move that has been written into national legislation and is now under active implementation.
In terms of regional leadership, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ has demonstrated the value of cooperative governance through the Joint Management Area with Mauritius, a shared extended continental shelf over which both nations exercise joint jurisdiction. PS Ernesta noted that this collaboration serves as a model of peaceful and productive transboundary marine governance for Africa and the wider world.
Reaffirming 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’ role as the African Union’s Blue Economy Champion, PS Ernesta expressed the country’s ongoing commitment to advancing the continent’s sustainable ocean agenda. This includes strengthening strategic partnerships and research initiatives, fostering innovation, and ensuring that blue economy development is inclusive, particularly of women, youth, and marginalised populations.
She also pledged 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’ continued advocacy for the ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement a key instrument that can support sustainable ocean governance. Finally, she called for increased investment in ocean-based research, including social science, to inform policy with context-specific, data-driven insights.
The African Union side event concluded with a collective Call to Action, affirming Africa’s commitment to an equitable, sustainable, and innovation-led blue economy. It called for stronger regional cooperation, the scaling of successful models, and increased investment in ocean-based solutions that place people and the environment at the heart of development.
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Text and photos contributed