Regional Workshop in Cairo Shapes Blue Economy Strategies for Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) & Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD) North Africa

Regional Workshop in Cairo Shapes Blue Economy Strategies for Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) & Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD) North Africa

From the 27th to the 30th of December 2023, the Regional Consultative Meeting for the Formulation of Regional Blue Economy Strategies for the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)/North Africa and the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD) took place in Cairo, Egypt. Organized by AU-IBAR with support from the Kingdom of Norway, the workshop aimed to define priority issues for the development of regional blue economy strategies, ensuring that the unique challenges and opportunities of the UMA/North Africa and CENSAD regions were addressed. The meeting sought to encourage stakeholder involvement for the development of strategies that would be regionally owned and implemented.

The meeting brought together 67 participants from various entities, including selected AU Member States in the UMA and CENSAD regional economic blocks, representatives of relevant organizations, experts, and consultants.

Objectives of the Workshop: The workshop aimed to achieve the following objectives: • Identify priority issues, challenges, and actions for the development of regional blue economy strategies. • Establish blue governance and coordination mechanisms at regional and national levels. • Gather inputs from stakeholders to refine key thematic areas in developing the regional blue economy strategies. • Create awareness, build capacity, and share best practices in applying the Blue Economy concept in UMA/North