African voices must unite at UNOC-3
Call for a coordinated African voice
MOROCCO: Speaking at the opening of the high-level preparatory workshop for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) recently, Morocco’s Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich, stressed the need for a strong, coordinated African voice at the discussions scheduled for June.
Outlining Morocco’s has ambitious roadmap for the blue economy, Driouich also stated that this roadmap includes an integrated maritime legal framework, fishery management plans, the development of Marine Protected Areas, and the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing.
She urged African states to present a united voice drawing on the outcomes of key events organized in Morocco, such as the African consultation in Tangier, the Blue Africa Summit Forum, and the regional BBNJ workshop in Rabat.
In this regard, she called for the promotion of African initiatives in ocean governance, the mobilisation of blue financing, and the strengthening of North-South, South-South, and triangular partnerships.
She also emphasised the importance of involving youth and civil society in these efforts, noting the participation of more than 500 young people in the African consultation held in Tangier in October 2024, and the engagement of over 950 young African experts in the oceanography capacity-building programme launched in November 2024.
Furthermore, Driouich recalled that Morocco was one of the first countries to ratify the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), demonstrating its commitment to the sustainable management of marine resources, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 on life below water.
She concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s readiness to share its experience and support African partners in developing an inclusive and sustainable blue economy, while stressing the need to anchor these efforts in a vision of food sovereignty, regional integration, and shared prosperity.
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