UfM ministers commit to strengthen blue economy sector

AMMAN — Six years after the first Union for Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on Blue Economy, ministers from the 42 UfM countries on Tuesday adopted a new declaration, committing to cooperate closely and address joint challenges in key blue economy sectors. 

The ministers agreed to promote transformative policies and tools such as maritime clusters or maritime spatial planning, and support the overall shift towards low-emission technologies and circular blue economy, according to a UfM statement.

New joint activities and projects will be set up on a wide range of issues, including “blue skills”, marine litter, marine renewable energies and nature-based tourism.

The Ministerial Conference took place virtually, under the co-presidency of the European Union and Jordan, in the presence of Nasser Kamel, UfM secretary general.

The Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “Today, countries of the Union for the Mediterranean have recognised the importance of transitioning to a truly sustainable blue economy, as part of our strategy to recover from the COVID-19 crisis and to tackle the serious impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. The declaration adopted today will pave the road towards sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean, our common sea, and contribute to the ambitions of the EU Green Deal”.

Transport Minister Marwan Khitan said: “Our strive to economic development builds around a blue economy preserving all what is unique and authentic in our ecosystem. Engaging all stakeholders in this process is essential to make blue economy principles and practices a lasting and integral part of our business and development culture.”

Kamel said: “With this ministerial declaration on the blue economy, we are raising the bar on our collective ambitions in governments, civil society, research and the private sectors to ensure that maritime activities are sustainable, innovative and job-creation oriented to address the main challenges of our times. At the same time, we are also tackling important drivers for the recovery from the pandemic and for the long-term restructuring of the sector”.

The declaration follows a broad consultation, to which more than 100 experts and representatives from international organisations have contributed. This large participation reflects the growing interest in sustainability in and around the Mediterranean, and the shared understanding that more action is urgently needed, read the statement

 “The stakes are very high. The Mediterranean region is the world’s leading tourism destination. Representing the first blue economy sector for income and job creation in the sea basin, tourism is also a driving force for young entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises’ growth. However, this sector has been highly affected by the COVID-19 crisis,” the UfM statement said.

The region is also highly exposed to climate change, warming 20 per cent faster than the world average, with visible impacts on the marine environment. This will continue unless further mitigation and adaptation measures are undertaken to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen the resilience of marine and coastal habitats, the statement said.