On 13 November 2020, an online seminar on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Sustainable Blue Economy in Cabo Verde took place to highlight national perspectives but also share experiences from the neighboring archipelagos of Spain and Portugal in the Macaronesia region.
The event benefitted from the high-level participation of Cabo Verde’s Minister of Maritime Economy, Paulo Veiga, and Minister of Culture and Creative Industries and President of the National Commission of Cabo Verde for UNESCO, Abraão Vicente.
Mr. Veiga stressed the urgent need for the oceanic and archipelagic state to proceed with MSP legislation and implementation to develop its Blue Economy. The process should use the best available science, stakeholder engagement, intersectoral planning, transparent decision-making, consideration of economic and environmental objectives and sustainable financing mechanisms.
For his part, Mr. Vicente affirmed that it is imperative to boost international cooperation in ocean science as well as strengthen collaboration in research and transfer of technology. He emphasized that the Joint Roadmap to accelerate MSP processes worldwide (MSProadmap) and United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) offer Cabo Verde the opportunity to establish relations with other countries and learn from them in the management of marine and coastal space and resources.
Representatives from various national institutions involved in MSP and Blue Economy presented current strategies and processes being developed and implemented while highlighting opportunities and challenges in this regard.
The second part of the event was dedicated to experience sharing with representatives from the regional governments of Madeira and Azores in Portugal on the one hand, and Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the other.
Click here to access the speakers’ presentations.
The online seminar was co-organized with the National Commission of Cabo Verde for UNESCO and Ministry of Maritime Economy, and co-financed by the Government of Sweden in the context of the MSProadmap and UN Decade of Ocean Science.
RELATED LINKS:
MSProadmap
IOC-UNESCO and European Commission boost development of Marine Spatial Planning and Sustainable Blue Economy worldwide
CONTACT:
MSPglobal.comm@unesco.org