Blue Africa Summit: Platform for Africa’s Maritime Future

Caption: Courtesy of the Blue Africa Summit homepage: https://www.blueafricasummit.com/en/

Under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Blue Africa Summit will convene in Tangier, Morocco on October 10, 2024, marking a significant milestone in Africa’s maritime development. Building on the « Tangier Declaration » of 2023, this year’s summit aims to solidify Africa’s integration into global ocean governance frameworks and further its preparations for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in 2025. The summit will gather global leaders, policy-makers, and Ocean advocates to address the continent’s pivotal role in international trade and sustainable ocean development.

One of the summit’s key sessions, “Knowledge of Ocean, Science to Policy,” will feature Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International (MOi). He will speak about digital ocean systems, with a special address on the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) initiative. Piloted by Mercator Ocean and part of the EU Mission Ocean, the EU DTO is an innovative project that is now operational, actionable and inclusive, to support informed action and decision-making. He will stress the need for further cooperation of the global digital ocean community and highlight the incoming UNOC as an opportunity to foster such collaborations, inviting all African ocean prediction partners to join MOi on the Digital Ocean Pavilion next June in Nice.

Key Discussions on Africa’s Role in Ocean Governance

The 2023 Tangier Declaration highlighted the crucial link between African growth and international maritime trade, stressing the continent’s dependence on Ocean connectivity with other regions. As the global community faces urgent environmental challenges, this year’s summit will continue to explore strategies for Africa to leverage its Ocean resources sustainably, ensuring that maritime industries thrive in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 14, which focuses on life below water.

The first day of the summit will feature high-level discussions that include Africa’s integration into the United Nations Ocean Conference June 2025 framework and what can be done to align its Ocean policies with global expectations. This dialogue will set the stage for Africa’s increased participation in Ocean governance as the continent seeks to strengthen its role in marine conservation, resource management, and sustainable economic development.

Featured Speakers

A series of distinguished speakers will shape the event’s agenda, including but not limited to: Prince Albert II of Monaco, Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Pascal Lamy, chair of the Board of the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, and Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, French Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Affairs and Special Envoy for the UNOC.

*Caption: Courtesy of the Blue Africa Summit, this image shows a few of the highlevel speakers. See full list here: https://www.blueafricasummit.com/en/speaker-classic/*

Africa’s Road to UNOC 2025

As a preparatory milestone for the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, the 2024 Blue Africa Summit will focus on shaping Africa’s contributions to the international maritime agenda. The event will stress the need for stronger regional cooperation, capacity building, and scientific innovation to enable African nations to fully participate in ocean governance. By connecting Africa to a global network of partners and resources, the summit will further catalyze the continent’s journey toward a sustainable blue economy, rooted in science and policy integration.