Africa celebrated the African Day of Seas and Oceans, ‘Harnessing the Blue Economy in Achieving the African Union Agenda 2063' and launched the 2015-2025 Decade of African Seas and Oceans on 25 July.
The events took place as the 22nd Ordinary Session of Heads of States and Governments concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the African Union (AU) headquarters.
25 July 2015: Africa celebrated the African Day of Seas and Oceans under the theme, ‘Harnessing the Blue Economy in Achieving the African Union Agenda 2063,’ and launched the 2015-2025 Decade of African Seas and Oceans. The events on 25 July took place as the 22nd Ordinary Session of Heads of States and Governments concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at African Union (AU) headquarters.
The AU event raised awareness about challenges facing African Seas and Oceans and highlighted the 2050 African Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIM) Strategy and Africa’s blue economy. The 22nd Ordinary Session of Heads of States and Governments adopted the 2050 AIM Strategy and its Plan of Action, including a roadmap for the incremental implementation of the strategy in line with International Maritime Law.
The Strategy includes a framework for action on, inter alia: fisheries and aquaculture; environmental and biodiversity monitoring; marine tourism; disaster risk management (DRM); handling and shipment of hazardous materials and dangerous goods; maritime governance; flag state and port state control; and illegal activities, including money laundering, piracy, maritime terrorism and human trafficking and smuggling by sea. [Event Information] [2050 AIM Strategy] [UNESCO Press Release on Adoption of AIM Strategy] [World Maritime University Press Release]