Luanda - The African Union Commissioner Josefa Sacko said on Wednesday in Lisbon that scientific research should be the basis of policy and decision-making, to enable understanding and sustainable management of the continent's oceans and seas.
The ambassador was speaking at the panel on the theme: "accelerating innovation, science and technology and promoting the involvement of women and youth in Africa's oceans and seas, in the context of the ocean decade", on the sidelines of the oceans event, under the aegis of the United Nations, in a co-organisation of Portugal and Kenya.
"Let me be clear, innovation is not always technological, it can also be social in nature, where we improve systems and make them more resilient," she maintained.
According to the AU commissioner, women in coastal communities are working to reduce nutrient loss and food waste in innovative ways. Meanwhile, they face the crisis of plastic pollution, which must be given attention by technological tools to ensure safety at sea.
"It is time we shall stop considering them as a liability and instead give them the space and resources they need to contribute to the advancement of our continent," she said.
