Luanda - An Angolan delegation, led by the secretary of State for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Álvaro da Cunha Cândido dos Santos, participated, from the 7th to the 9th of this month, in the 3rd session of the High Level Conference of the Blue Belt Initiative – BBI (Blue Belt Initiative), in the Moroccan city of Tangier.
According to a note to which ANGOP had access, the delegation, which also included the Angolan ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Baltazar Diogo Cristóvão, also participated in the “Blue Food & Blue Job” Conference and the African Consultation in Preparation for the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3).
During the 3rd session of the “Blue Belt Initiative”, the economic growth challenges that the oceans represent for the African continent were assessed, through the theme “Building a foundation to boost blue food and employment within the framework of a development of the Blue Economy”.
The main objective of the “Blue Food & Blue Job” Conference was to explore how the Blue Economy can stimulate sustainable development in Africa, with a special focus on food security, conservation of marine ecosystems, skills creation and professional training.
With regard to the African Consultation Meeting for the Preparation of the UNOC-3, to be held in June 2025, in the French city of Nice, it was established that it would be held in a context where exploration, the sustainable use of marine resources and the blue economy will be central themes.
The meeting aimed to discuss and promote actions for the conservation of oceans, seas and marine resources, addressing issues such as the protection of biodiversity, the fight against pollution and the impact of climate change.
African countries sought to highlight the importance of the oceans for economic development, food security and climate change mitigation, emphasizing the potential of the blue economy to drive sustainable growth and create conditions to better represent the continent at the United Nations Conference.
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