Inception meeting of the Blue Economy Sector Working Group
31st October, Maputo- After months of consultation processes, the first meeting of the Blue Economy Sector Working Group finally took place in Maputo on 31st of October at the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
This inception meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Haakon Gram-Johannessen, Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique and Mr. Hernani Coelho da Silva, FAO Representative to Mozambique and attended by representative of development partners interested in the sector of blue economy.
On this 1st meeting participants approved the Terms of Reference of the Working Group which will serve as a platform for coordination among Development and Cooperation Partners and for policy dialogue between the development partners and the Government of Mozambique on matters related to Blue Economy development.
The members of the BE-WG will be meeting regularly to promote coordination, policy dialogues,
information and knowledge sharing, including engagement of private sector, civil society, and communities in liaison with the Government of Mozambique, through the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP).
Background
The UN specifies Blue Economy (BE) as a range of economic activities related to oceans, seas and coastal areas, and whether these activities are sustainable and socially equitable. Important key points of the Blue Economy are sustainable fishing and use of aquatic living resources, ocean health, wildlife and stopping pollution. The UN iterates that the Blue Economy should "promote economic growth, social inclusion, and the preservation or improvement of livelihoods while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability of the oceans and coastal areas".
As the Blue Economy is gaining momentum globally and regionally, in Mozambique several initiatives are being promoted by government entities, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), private sector, academia and Development Partners. The establishment of this working group comes as a result of the "Growing Blue" Conference held in November 2021, in Vilankulos, Inhambane Province, that recommended the establishment of a Working Group on Blue Economy to support the development and implementation of its strategy in Mozambique, and serve as a platform for information sharing.
Furthermore, FAO has been requested to coordinate the establishment of a Blue Economy Working Group in the context of the Development and Cooperation Partners (DCP) which serves as a political and technical dialogue platform between development partners and the Government of Mozambique.