Written by: Badr Ahmed

The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) participated in the third edition of the Blue Growth Conference, alongside Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chabo, in the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

The official’s participation came as part of the Crescendo Azul Blue Growth Conference, held under the theme: Blue Future: Accelerating Economic Sustainability, where participants discussed ways to utilize marine resources to promote economic growth, support food security, provide job opportunities, and build resilience to climate change, while preserving marine ecosystems.

The blue economy in South Africa

The conference witnessed a significant event: the inauguration and handover of the Southern African Development Community's Monitoring, Control and Supervision Coordination Centre, known as the MCSCC Centre, in Katembe. The Community Secretariat officially took possession of the new facility following its handover by President Daniel Chabo.

The participants stressed that this center represents an important strategic step in strengthening the governance of the marine fisheries sector, improving marine monitoring capabilities, developing regional cooperation in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, in addition to addressing crimes related to the fisheries sector.

The report explained that the monitoring center represents a pivotal investment in managing shared marine resources among the countries of the region, and aims to protect the livelihoods of communities that depend on fishing as a primary source of income, and to promote both environmental and economic sustainability.

In his speech, the representative of the General Secretariat pointed out that the vision of the blue economy in the region can only be achieved through strong institutions, effective regional coordination, and strategic partnerships between member states, in order to ensure that plans are translated into tangible results on the ground.

The event concluded by emphasizing the collective commitment of the region's countries to developing the blue economy and maximizing the use of marine resources, while preserving oceans and water basins for future generations, within the framework of sustainable and inclusive development.