REF: BUSINESS DISRUPTION AND ACCESSBILITY TO HOMES AND PREMISES.

 

 

KENYA- TRANSPORT  SECTOR SUPPORT PROJECT(P124109) AND ITS ADDITIONAL FINANCING (P146630).                             

 

Small and medium level businesses were the driving force behind Dinah economy  and yet, their interests and support was not taken into account during the design stage and actual construction. There was total lack of effective and inclusive engagement. There was clear evidence from the disclosure meeting for the RAP Implementation Audit report by Panafcom Ltd. at Minata hotel , on 25/2/2020, that concerns of this group  had never been captured and  addressed by both Panafcom and KeNHA staffs, and yet the project is coming to close.

 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

Before, the construction of the interchange there was easy and convenient access of both vehicles and pedestrians to businesses and homes. The access feeder roads provided  entry and exit routes  in either direction from Webuye town, Eldoret , Kitale or Bungoma.  on both sides, of the road.

There were feeder roads, serving not only businesses but, thousands of residents. Example, Dinah- Malaha road serving almost 2,000 people, Camp David road, road to Radio Mambo, and road to Molo estate. This is further explained by the accompanying drawings.

 

DESIGN.

The design and actual implementation, basing on the SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM SHOWING PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE MOVEMENTS AT WEBUYE INTERCHANGE,  disregarded  the existing feeder roads, leading to disruption and  loss of  businesses and inconveniencing  residents to their homes. There is total failure of the project component of improved roads and road safety, as most  residents  within the interchange risk daily accessing their homes  and businesses from both side. Customers/ clients, business owners, suppliers  and residents with vehicles are unable to access their premises and homes easily and safely.

 

PROBLEM.

The elevated wall of the interchange has created a barrier on both sides , resulting into pedestrians  taking a longer distance  and time before reaching the pedestrian crossings, while vehicular movements for easy access to businesses and homes have been  curtailed on  both  sides of the road .

The following businesses have been adversely affected , Minata hotel, Website hotel , Camp David hotel, united millers,, Webuye corner petrol station and Jakas petrol station, and have  incurred income losses and business disruption during the actual construction. Closure of access to the  premises  affected businesses as clients moved out.

With the completion of the interchange,  businesses has not picked up, and transport sector businesses such as Easy coach bus, North Rift  and Great Rift  shuttles are also experiencing  difficulties to access their premises in either direction of the road on both sides. For example, how will someone access Easy Coach bus, Dinah- Malaha road, Minata hotel, Great Rift shuttle and several retail shops, while coming from Eldoret, Kitale, Webuye or Kakamega, easily and safely?

 

TRAFFIC RULES CONTRAVENTION

 

On several occasions clients / customers , suppliers, residents, business owners, with vehicles get lost , and as a result drive on the wrong side of the road , contravening traffic rules so as to access and  reach business premises or their homes.

This is a safety issue and the probability of accidents happening is very high.

IMPACT.

The interchange has blocked  businesses and  affected easy movements to the populations of  Dinah community. The project has decreased business opportunities,  and thus, disempowered  the community leading to  increased insecurity in the area.

Overall the project has not spurred economic growth of these community. People have lost jobs,  some businesses closed,  businessmen/ women have been unable to service their loans as required, reducing the livelihood of the people.

The project objective of increased efficiency can not be achieved as employment opportunities for hotel workers and suppliers has been affected.

 

 PROPOSED  SOLUTION

1.Provide two-way direction slip roads on both sides of the interchange as opposed to the current one-way  direction slip roads for vehicles and at the round about with clear marked directions and indications for easy and convenient access.

2. In addition to the two-way direction slip roads on both sides, provide a U-Turn, or a round about at both ends of the interchange.

 

Additional Financing Transport Sector Support Project - Additional Financing ( P146630 ) WEBUYE- KITALE ROAD.

 

                                                                                       17/12/2018                       

We would like to make a formal request to go on with the inspection. As the response from the grievances mechanism is not being clear with the concerns raised.

Our complain is being guided by The  World Bank’s  Environmental and Social Framework (ESF),  including  the Environmental and Social Standard (ESS) 10 on Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure . Information  disclosure in a timely manner, in an accessible place, and in a form and language understandable to those affected by the project  and other interested parties,  motivates our action.

We believe that there  has been no stakeholders meaningful consultation in a manner proportionate to the risks to and impacts on affected communities during the construction phase.

 

CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

The concerns are specifically engagement during the construction phase , when a lot of harm was experienced.

Right from the documents send earlier, there was no information to make meaningful, informed choices about livelihood restoration, compensation and other resettlement entitlements.

The  project’s Environmental Assessment had never  been disclosed .

 

LACK OF MITIGATION MEASURES ON:-

 

Ø  Disturbance to vendors- people mostly women have had their opportunities lost, affecting their lifelihoods.

Ø  Increased dust quantities and air pollution  to vendors, small businesses and residents.- This was  an issues of concern

Ø  Increased  dust quantities to road side foods, vegetables, fruits, meat and shop items. The effect and impact was  both to sellers and buyers.

Ø  Increase of noise pollution to  the public.

Ø  Control of effluent -

Ø  Disruption of utility services

Ø  Increase in organic and inorganic solid waste.

Ø  Increased Green House Gas Emissions due to increased fossil fuel consumption.

Ø  Easy access to school going children when the project is completed.

Ø  Provision of roadside facilities

Ø  Public awareness for the chemicals used and information on hazardous chemicals used.

Ø  Compensation to loss of businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UN HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATION RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT SAYS;-

v  States should ensure a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable  environment in order to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.

v  Human rights and environmental protection are  interdependent. A safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is necessary for the full enjoyment of  human rights, including the rights to life, to the highest  attainable standard of physical and mental health, to  an adequate standard of living,

v  The human right of all persons to seek, receive and  impart information includes information on environmental matters.

v  Public access to environmental  information enables individuals to understand how  environmental harm may undermine their rights,  including the rights to life and health, and supports  their exercise of other rights, including the rights to  expression, association, participation and remedy.

 

 

 

 

Luke Kapchanga,     Director.  Emonyo Yefwe International        +254733998526

 

AGREY INZAI                      MEMBER

J. A . SAGALA                    Chairman Stakeholders Committee     + 254713053001

 

 

 

Mainstream climate change adaptation in the environment sector.

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA

Kenya’s environment underpins livelihoods, health, ecosystem services, cultural heritage, tourism, wildlife habitats and more. It is also where many impacts of climate change are first registered, often as shifts in precipitation and temperature lead to changes in resource availability, occurrence and impact of disasters, or the valuable services ecosystem provide.

 Variable, widespread climate impacts threaten ecosystems and wildlife across the country with cascading economic and social impactsBungoma county   role in setting or and developing policy priorities,  plays a significant role in policy implementation and in monitoring.

This puts it in a unique place to observe at first hand where inconsistencies and incoherent approaches  of policies for sustainable development goals and targets Local Level Governance in the context of the SDGs

As the level of government closest to the people, local and regional governments are uniquely placed to identify and respond to development needs and gaps, hence the need to “localise the Post-2015 Development Agenda”. Specifically, this refers to the process of

defining, implementing and monitoring strategies at the local level for achieving global, national and sub-national sustainable development goals and targets. This involves concrete mechanisms, tools, innovations, platforms and processes to effectively translate

the development agenda into action at the local level (UNDP et al., 2014). The aim should be to strengthen coordination, maximise flexibility in the local management of programmes, preserve efficiency in service delivery, ensure accountability for the use of resources invested, and promote participation from businesses and civil society (OECD, 2005). 

The report Localizing the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Dialogues on Implementation (UNEP, 2014) is the result of a multi-stakeholder dialogue process carried out in 2014. The main recommendations include:raise more revenue locally.

● Promote a bottom-up approach to ensure ownership of the Post-20 Development Agenda at the local level.

● National planning institutions should align and embed the global development agenda into national and local development plans, and foster linkages and partnerships with  other actors to harmonise local development activities and avoid duplications and promote effectiveness.

● National governments and the international development community should recognize that local governments are best placed to convene local-level stakeholders, e.g. civil society, the private sector, and academia.

● Governments at all levels must be held accountable for responding to social inclusion and human security challenges.

● National governments and development partners should scale scale-up, replicate and adapt at the national and international levels.

● Decentralised development co-operation should be acknowledged and used as a modality to support the implementation of the SDGs at local level.

● Strengthen the capacities of national, regional and international associations of local governments to participate in global dialogues.

● Promote transparency and wider access to data and information to local governments through ICTs.

● SDG 11 to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” can help to mobilise local authorities and stakeholders and to focus the attention on the potential of urbanisation as a key driver for sustainable development. 

.As noted by one of the experts, Prof. Sharon S. Dawes, during the meeting, “The key challenges we face in policy integration for sustainable development are to develop the capability and legitimacy of governments to engage in policy development, grounded in citizen and stakeholder engagement; to develop better models and tools for understanding complexity by citizens, not just expert modellers, and, to better connect research and practice through rich connectivity among expert communities and the public”. Therefore, while knowledge networks, epistemic communities and analytical tools are critical, legitimacy and actual success will come from the broad political support.

A major area of focus for policy integration is the linkage between national and sub-national policies. This linkage is very complex. At the same time, as also noted during the same meeting, local governments are often better positioned to have a more coherent and integrated approach, see trade-offs and promote synergies. Issues that are often covered by multiple instances at central level are often handled by fewer representatives at local level, and benefit from closer collaboration and overlaps in responsibilities of local staff. Sub-national level is all the more important as this is where a lot of SDG implementation will be taking place.

 

 

END.

 

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

 

ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT (FOURTH SESSION)

 

PUBLIC PETITION

 

BY EMONYO YEFWE INTERNATIONAL REGARDING COMING INTO FORCE OF THE COP21 PARIS AGREEMENT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION LOCALLY.

 

I, the undersigned, Luke Wanjala Kapchanga, ID/ NO 9996278 of Maraka Ward, Webuye Constituency , Bungoma county, Director of Emonyo Yefwe International a civil society dealing with policy advocacy on climate change,

DRAW the attention of the House to the following:-

That, the Paris agreement on climate change  has entered into force , marking the first time that governments have agreed legally binding limits to global temperature rises, under the existing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regime.

That, the Agreement was to enter into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties accounting for at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify (or accept, approve or accede to) the Agreement. These thresholds were passed on 5 October so the Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016.

 

That, once an agreement enters into force, all countries that have ratified it will become parties to it and will be legally bound by its provisions,in any case, ratification, approval, acceptance or accession have essentially the same legal effect.

 

That, the primary goals of the Paris Agreement are to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below two-degrees Celsius, and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the second half of this century.

That , to achieve these goals, governments and the private sector must act boldly and quickly on a range of fronts, including ratcheting down investment in fossil fuels and mobilizing an additional $1 trillion per year in clean energy from now through 2050.

 That, Kenya as  a developing country  is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

That, the Agreement will need to be implemented at the national level through a range of domestic actions and its effectiveness will therefore depend to a large extent on whether each country meets its international commitments.

That,Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) allow each Party to decide what it is able and willing to do under the Agreement, subject to general transparency and  accounting rules agreed at the international level.

That,  most direct obligation stemming from the Agreement relates to implementing measures outlined in Nationally Determine Contributions.

That,Kenya’s estimated climate-smart investment potential in selected sectors is $81 billion from 2016–2030.

That,Kenya’s NDC pledges to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 30 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2030,  detailing mitigation and adaptation activities, including priorities for increased use of renewables, options for clean transportation, and achieving 10 percent tree cover.

That, Parliamentarians must make full use of their powers to legislate, allocate budgets, influence policy and exercise oversight if the Agreement is to be effective,  have a key role to play in addressing climate change based on their position as representatives of their respective populations, and as primary decision makers and overseers of accountability within government.

That, they have broad legislative powers to establish governance structures and to allocate funding, shape policy, mobilise domestic actors, provide oversight functions to monitor progress, and ensure transparency and accountability.

That, Parliamentarians are  well-positioned to harmonise climate efforts with other development priorities, for example with respect to action on gender equality and the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

 That, Goal 13 of the SDGs is specifically about taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Issues related to climate change are also implicitly linked to many of the other SDGs.

That, they  need to develop and implement national strategies, policies, action plans and legislation to galvanise action and harness private sector finance and innovation.

That, the effectiveness of the oversight exercised by parliamentarians  is  critical in ensuring government deliver on their contributions.

 That, Kenya is a beneficiary  of ,The Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) trust fund, hosted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) , the CBIT aims to help developing countries in their efforts to build institutional and technical capacity for enhanced transparency.

That, Increasing transparency and enhancing countries’ capacity for monitoring and evaluation are lynchpins for the Paris Agreement.

That, Kenyans ,regardless of  their  status and position ,want clean air and clean water for their families and children. They want to protect their health from  extreme weather events. They want to enjoy nature and Earth’s natural resources.

THEREFORE your humble petitioner pray that the National Assembly, through the Departmental Committee on Environment  and Natural resources to initiate a process to identify gaps in existing policy and legislative frameworks and any barriers to implementing the Paris Agreement by:-

1.  Develop initial recommendations on appropriate policy, strategy and legislative

responses needed to implement contributions under the Paris Agreement

2.  Identify linkages between action on climate change and socio-economic development

priorities, in particular synergies with action on the SDGs

3.  Consider how to integrate climate issues and responses as underlying contexts and bases of policy and strategy across government.

 

And your PETITIONER will ever pray.

Luke  Kapchanga  ID/NO. 9996278

 

 

 

 

The Assembly Committee Working without executive reports.

By Luke Kapchanga.

The County Government of Bungoma in the last four years received a total allocation of Kshs 40,855,350,331, says  Committee on  Finance and Economic Planning  of Second Assembly Session.

 In the Report  on The Bungoma County Integrated  Development Plan(CIDP) 2018-2022, notes lack of sufficient information on implemented projects for the 2013-2017 CIDP.

The committee particularly relied on information from  the county treasury  summary review of the implementation of the first CIDP (2013- 2017),to make its recommendations on the projects and programmes to be planned and implemented in the second generation CIDP (2018-2022). 

There was insufficient information as to some of the achievements in Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries And Co-Operative Development and   department of Education, youth and sports, noting  that the information given on some of the achievements does not show the true position.

The committee raised concern whether the five year CIDP plan for project implementation will be effected.

 In this respect the committee was informed that there was need for a CIDP status evaluation to determine the extent of achievement of CIDP elements to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of planned development items.

 Bungoma County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018- 2022  was tabled in the County Assembly of Bungoma during a special sitting held on 24th January, 2018 . 

The County Budget and Appropriations Committee while tabling the report on the first supplementary budget, note of  not receiving a  report from the County Treasury on the deviations from financial objectives despite the Committee’s attempts to have the reports submitted.

The  two cases in point, justifies the fact that, the assembly is working  with limited information, and this in the long run, impacts negatively on the electorates whom they represent.  

Provisions of Section 183 (3) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010  requires the County Executive Committee to submit to the County Assembly full and regular reports on matters relating to the county and as contemplated in Section 47 of the County Government Act, 2012 that provides for annual performance reports.

 Hon. Henry Majimbo’s raised the issue on the status of projects/programmes implemented FY 2013/2014 and 2014/15 respectively to  the implementation committee.

The committee in response , recommended to the  County Executive  to submit project details in  to include: Project title/description, vote code, specific project locations, Ward name(s), project tracking number, fiscal year, contract details, status of payment, level of project implementation and specific project challenges required to interrogate the status of project implementation for FY 2013/14 and 2014/15 by the end of the 1st Quarter of the 2015/16 financial year to facilitate ward visits by  committee members. The Committee  sanctioned  the CEC –Member, Finance and Economic Planning and the County Secretary , implement resolutions as they are put in budget appropriation Bills, Variations and virement decisions  be subjected to the approval of the County Assembly .

The county treasury is tasked to monitor and advise the county assembly on the implementation of the budget on a quarterly and annual basis, the compliance has been lacking.

A statement requested by Hon. Henry Majimbo on 25th June 2015 sought for the  issues relating to the position of development projects and programmes in Bungoma County from the Chairperson, Committee on Finance and Economic Planning:

1. Detail all the development projects in each sector that the County Government had initiated and completed in the FY 2013/14 and 2014/15. 

2. The chairperson to outline the projects that had not been completed ,stating the reasons why they have not done so and when they  were supposed to be completed. 

The County Budget and Appropriations Committee  in scrutiny of the first supplementary budget 2017/2018,  talks of  compelling  the executive to submit reports on the departments  that have deviated  from the approved CFSP 2017.. The Committee further, noted with  concern that despite  much effort being put in place in the preparation of Annual Budgets and the incorporation of public views, the Executive was not committed to implement the budget  fully,  thus requested implementation of approved programmes in the budget and quarterly financial reports be submitted to the House for interrogation and action.

The Committee On Implementation is among other is supposed to:- 

a) To detect and address abuse, illegal and unconstitutional conduct on the part of the County Executive.

b) To hold the County Executive to account in respect of how the taxpayers’ money is used.

c) To ensure that policies announced by the County Executive and authorised by County Assembly are actually delivered.

d) To improve the transparency of county government operations and enhance public trust

for effective policy delivery.

e) To generate  reports to be debated in the House with recommendations to determine whether the County Executive was effectively  implementing projects as provided for in the county budget cycles .

f) To recommend monitoring and evaluation strategies to assess compliance by the County Executive in implementing various resolutions passed in the House.

The scenario as it stands, shows that each house committee is finding it hard in making reports as executive  was not giving requisite information.

So if  by 2015, the house was looking into how best to improve on service delivery, and develop a working formula , by 2018 the problems of report submission still persists.

This gives  clear indicator, that public participation will not be meaningful  as long as, the public gives views  basing on limited information available , ant it may take much longer for the residents to reap improved service delivery.

END.

KENYA WAS THE HOST BUT LACKED TO SHOW COMMITMENT INVESTING IN SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY .

 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;