President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged that as the host country, Kenya
would play a leading role in implementing proper policies and mechanisms to
harness the Blue Economy.
Adding
that they will manage waste for the sake of food security and biodiversity; enforcing sustainable fishing; and ensuring
security and safety in the high seas.
He did not give an alignment strategy of the Sustainable blue economy into his” Big Four” Agenda.
The President noted that
the substantial presence of the business and private sector at the conference
signaled a growing interest in investing in a sustainable Blue Economy, further pledging his government possibility of creating
a fertile business environment and invited the private sector to engage
in partnerships to expand the present US$1.4 billion portfolio to stimulate it.
The milestone highlights associated with Kenya at the conference were, likely
taking measures to revive Kenya’s maritime transport and partnering with global
shipping lines.
Establishing
a Blue Economy Bank to support the growth and development of the Blue Economy
and Investing in renewable energy in Africa including generation of energy from
waste in Mombasa by Toyota Tshusho, of
Japan.
Marine Protection
Contrast the
commitment by Canada to Implement a CAD$1.5 billion ocean protection
plan project to enhance maritime safety and address protection of marine
biodiversity and Protect 10% marine and coastal areas by 2020 .
Mozambique
on its part said they are to restore mangrove forest to 5000ha by 2023 ,
while the UK to support conversion of
30% of oceans into marine protected area by 2030 under its ‘30-by-30 strategy’.
Plastics and Waste
Management
Allocating US$100 million for improved
ocean’s management and against dumping by Norway and World Bank, and committing US$200 million for the next four years for
development of initiatives to combat marine litter and microplastics by Norway
Infrastructure
Investing US$120 billion to revolutionize 600
maritime logistics and port-led development projects in India under Sagarmala
Programme and Promoting blue value chain, incorporating fisheries and tourism
sectors and committing to desalinate sea
water for agriculture, domestic and industrial use in Namibia,
Contrast President Uhurus pledge with other
leaders announcements at the conference, Danny Faure, President of
Seychelles, committed to train more women to join the Blue conomy and to cooperate with various
stakeholders from different sectors to promote a transparent, sustainable Blue
Economy beneficial to people.
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar said that Tanzania was
committed to mainstreaming the Blue Economy, including climate change and environmental
sustainability, in its development planning.
While, Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced: a contribution of
CAD$10-million investment to the Pacific Initiative for Biodiversity, Climate
Change and Resilience; CAD$20 million for SIDS to foster a Blue Economy; and as
part of the Aichi process, the intention to protect 10% of Canadian marine and
coastal areas by 2020.
Emphasizing
Canada’s commitment to plastic pollution control, scientific innovation, and
combating IUU while holding the G7 Presidency.
Apart
from the president,Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of
Environment and Forestry, Kenya, emphasized
difficult process of engaging Kenya’s industry to agree with the government’s
initiative to ban plastic carrier bags in 2017.
While Henry Rotich, Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and
Planning, Kenya, talked of the
importance of the private and business sectors to unlock opportunities for employment and improve prospective
investment initiatives in the blue economy sectors.
Making
none of the Kenyan leaders present committing nor highlighting a working
program in place nor setting a target to be achieved on the initiative.
The
Sustainable Blue Economy Conference was held from 26-28 November 2018 in
Nairobi, Kenya. Under the theme “The Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development,”
The
conference gathered over 18,000 participants from 184 countries, including
seven Heads of State and Government, 84 Ministers, and leaders from a wide
range of sectors, including different levels of governments, science and
academia, the scientific and research community, UN and other intergovernmental
organizations, international organizations, business and private sector
entities, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and ordinary
citizens.
Blue Economy Brief
History
The UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015 saw the
adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 sustainable
development goals (SDGs).
In paragraph 33 of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States recognize that “social and
economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s
natural resources” and determine to “conserve and sustainably use oceans and
seas, freshwater resources, as well as forests, mountains and dry-lands and to
protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife.”
Kenya’s 2018 Budget Policy Statement , sets out
President Uhuru administration priority programs and reforms to be implemented
over the next five years 2018 – 2022.
“The Big Four” Plan targets to increase the contribution of manufacturing
sector to Gross Domestic Product from
9.2 percent in 2016 to 15 percent by 2022 by adding USD 2 to 3 billion to the GDP.
It is expected that this will increase
manufacturing sector jobs by more than 800,000.
In
order to achieve the manufacturing
sector target of 15 percent of GDP, the Government will place special emphasis
on the following key areas: Textile and
Apparels; Leather products; Agro -
processing; and ( Manufacturing of construction materials.
And focus on initiatives that guarantee food security and
nutrition to all Kenyans by 2022 through expansion of food production and
supply, reduction of food prices to ensure affordability and support value
addition in the food processing value chain.
Throughout the three days of the conference, participants
actively engaged in panel and other discussions focused on how to achieve the
sustainable use and conservation of aquatic resources, including oceans, seas,
lakes and rivers, for improved human wellbeing, social equity and healthy
aquatic ecosystems.
As
noted, responses to questions from the floor, panelists advocated for avoiding
the use of plastics, due to high disposal costs, and developing suitable
alternative materials to plastics before phasing them out.
The discussions centred on the following nine
key themes: smart shipping, ports, transportation and global connectivity; employment, job creation and poverty
eradication; cities, tourism, resilient
coasts and infrastructure; sustainable
energy, mineral resources and innovative industries; managing and sustaining marine life,
conservation and sustainable economic activities; ending hunger, securing food supplies and
promoting good health and sustainable fisheries; climate action, agriculture waste management
and pollution-free oceans; maritime security, safety and regulatory
enforcement; and people, culture,
communities and societies – the inclusive blue economy.
Panelists from diverse sectors, including UN agencies,
governments, the retail and manufacturing industries, NGOs and civil society,
called on governments to develop robust regulations to change social behavior.
Discussions focused on: methodologies and scientific analyses of
plastic sources; recycling
initiatives; engaging communities and
the private sector to act as catalysts of circular economy; creating incentives or subsidies to promote
recycling and waste collection systems; regional cooperation and
partnerships; promoting school education
to raise public awareness on plastic waste;
technology innovation; and
individual’s successful attempts to push forward desired policies.
Key messages heard at the Conference include
the importance of:Promotion of action-oriented global strategies that place
people and the Blue Economy resources at the center of sustainable development
as a contribution to the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and the SDGs;
Promotion
of collaboration for sustainable partnerships and projects in the
various sectors of the Blue Economy for economic growth, poverty alleviation
and conservation of the resources for the present and future generations
through a multi-sectoral approach;
Promoting mobilization of finance from public
and private sources, access to technologies and innovations as well as capacity
building among local, national and international stakeholders for the full
realization of the potential of the blue economy;
