UNIDO advancing the Blue Industry contribution to the Blue Economy Agenda
Vienna, 4 December 2024 – UNIDO convened a successful Expert Group Meeting (EGM) from 2–4 December, marking a significant step toward advancing the Blue Economy Agenda through its substantive work on the Blue Industry. Held in a hybrid format, the meeting brought together a diverse assembly of 334 participants from 84 countries, including technical experts, international organizations, Permanent Missions to UNIDO from 37 countries, and key stakeholders.
The EGM aimed to shape UNIDO’s Blue Industry Programmatic Framework, fostering alignment with development agendas and identifying concrete, tangible actions. UNIDO presented the “Blueprint for Sustainable Development: The Blue Industry Contribution to the Blue Economy Agenda”, a discussion paper outlining pathways for impactful initiatives, and heralded mechanisms to integrate, optimize and scale up the impact of its blue industry interventions, including the Blue Industry Track of its ScaleX Accelerator.
The three-day event featured thematic panels on good governance, trade opportunities, private sector capacity building, innovative finance, and community engagement. Sectoral discussions explored fisheries, cross-sectoral linkages, renewable ocean energy, and maritime trade corridors, while regional breakout groups delved into specific challenges and opportunities across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
With 63 speakers, including ambassadors from Costa Rica, Kenya, and the Philippines, and participation from six UN agencies (ECLAC, FAO, IMO, UNCTAD, UNEP, UNODC) and six international and regional organizations, including the AfDB, the AU, the ASEAN Secretariat, the EDB and the EU, the EGM showcased the importance of partnerships in driving sustainable development. The insightful discussions were further enriched by the contributions of representatives from the private sector and academia.
In his opening remarks, UNIDO Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director, Mr. Ciyong Zou, reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to leveraging the Blue Economy for sustainable development. “This is a unique opportunity to align UNIDO’s efforts with the global momentum to advance the Blue Economy,” he said.
Ambassador Gina Guillén, Director General for Foreign Policy at Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, called for collective international action, emphasizing the need for science-based policies and adequate financial resources to ensure sustainable use of oceans and the protection of marine ecosystems.
To continue the momentum, UNIDO will convene a follow-up Development Dialogue in May 2025 to present the progress made and finalize the Blue Industry Programmatic Framework. This framework will be presented at the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025, aiming to mainstream Blue Industry into the global development discourse.
The outcomes of the EGM represent a significant milestone in aligning Blue Industry initiatives with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNIDO and its partners remain committed to delivering impactful projects that promote economic growth, shared livelihoods, and environmental sustainability across water-based industries.
For more information, contact Alejandro Rivera Rojas at A.Rivera-Rojas [at] unido.org
