UfM Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy
2 February 2021. The UfM Second Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy will take place on 2 February 2021. It aims at improving maritime governance and at intensifying join efforts, activities and projects in various blue economy sectors (including blue jobs; marine litter; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; nature-based tourism; green shipping; marine renewable energy; blue bio-economy) while addressing the growing environmental and climate-related challenges that the Mediterranean region is currently facing, and tackling the unprecedented socio-economic crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic has generated.
The deliverables of the 2015 UfM Ministerial Declaration on Blue Economy (Brussels, 17 November 2015) have been achieved. Regional and national projects, workshops and activities have been launched and carried out, the UfM Blue Economy Working Group is effectively enhancing cooperation and information exchange amongst the countries, the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform is up and running.
The objective of this ambitious declaration is to reinforce the existing process and to call for new joint actions to speed up recovery of the blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean as well as to ensure its long-term sustainability. The UfM Member Countries will reinforce the governance strategies and sustainable principles to ensure the future of the sea basin. The 2nd Ministerial will seek to make more resilient and sustainable sectors such as tourism, fisheries and aquaculture while promoting sustainable investments in marine renewable energy; green shipping; sustainable and fostering marine research, innovation, blue skills and careers to meet the evolving needs and challenges of the blue economy sectors.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, European Commission; Khalid Saif, Minister of Transport, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Nasser Kamel, Secretary General from the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean as well as Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects from Malta will be participating in the Meeting.
