IGAD drives Blue Economy agenda at Kenya ocean summit

An Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) delegation is participating in the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, marking the first time the global gathering is being hosted on the African continent.

Led by Dr Eshete Dejen, Head of the Sustainable Environment Protection Unit, the delegation is utilising the platform to transition the region’s Blue Economy agenda from policy frameworks into concrete implementation. The regional bloc is prioritizing sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, plastic pollution prevention, and the promotion of “blue foods” to enhance food and nutrition security.

Dejen highlighted that the conference is a timely opportunity to position the IGAD region as a strategic player in Africa’s Blue Economy transformation. He stated that IGAD will continue to work with Member States and partners to ensure aquatic and marine resources are sustainably managed to support livelihoods, biodiversity, and regional economic growth.

On the sidelines of the event, the delegation met with representatives from the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi. Supported financially by the Government of Sweden, the parties agreed to co-operate on building institutional capacity across IGAD Member States, focusing on Marine Spatial Planning, Marine Protected Areas, and gender-responsive Blue Economy development.

The delegation also promoted its regional interventions during a high-level side event themed “Advancing Africa’s Blue Economy: from Frameworks to Implementation,” organised by the African Union Commission.

This participation builds on the 2022 endorsement of the IGAD Regional Blue Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan. Through its ongoing co-ordination role, the IGAD Secretariat remains focused on helping Member States translate these national strategy policy commitments into active economic and environmental protections.

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