Digital KICK currently is limited to South Asia taking into consideration 8 South Asian countries. However, this solution can be adapted to other regions such as Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe.
It is important to understand the regional impact of COVID-19 and to identify key problems which the single country/ region faces. This is because the impacts of COVID-19 vary from one region to another.
For some regions, maybe just social media may not be enough. For that region, the information kiosk may need to be personalized such as audio content (over radio), or even text messages.
Sustainable Sea Transport inside the lagoon and between atolls of the Marshall Islands
WAMCat in the lagoon
Waan Aelõñ in Majel
Sustainable Sailing Vessel
Janina Laurent
Training on sustainable sailing vessel
Janina Laurent
Director Alson Kelen
Waan Aelõñ in Majel
Ri Majol, the people of the Marshall Islands were known for their superior boat building and sailing skills for centuries. They traveled frequently between their atolls (for trade and war) on big offshore canoes called Walap (some of them 100ft long). The lagoons of their low-lying coral atolls where crested by sails of smaller outrigger canoe designs for rapid inside lagoon transportation, food gathering and fishing. Together with Waan Aelõñ in Majel, we are reviving the traditional knowlege combined with modern technology. The ambitious goals of the Marshall Islands in the sea transport sector have become the main driver and motivation for us to pursue and to transition towards a low carbon fleet for the Marshall Islands for transport inside the lagoons and between atolls. Currently, a 150 ft. Training Vessel is about to be constructed and delivered to RMI by the 2nd half of 2022. After the agreement of the design, the market survey process started with the objection to identify shipyards that are interested and capable of building the new built as drafted in the tender design. The Maritime Training Approach in the Marshall Islands sets a clear focus on Low Emission Sea Transport Education and will train future sailors as part of the national fleet operators.
Today, the traditional outrigger canoe designs are not in use for inter-atoll voyages in RMI anymore. The traditional inter atoll voyages stopped and none of the traditional inter-atoll canoes (Walap) survived till today. Nowadays, offshore transport tasks are mainly carried out by the government owned Marshall Island Shipping Corporation (MISC) and private contractors with conventional monohull freighters with motorized engines causing emissions and impact on climate change.
The charter of SV Kwai - a sailing cargo vessel - in the time period from September to end of December 2020 showed how essential training is in the revitalization of sailing rigged ships that make the way open for a low emission transportation set up in RMI in the future. Sailing trainings took place on SV Kwai for the first time with participants already enlisted by MISC. The training was held with the intention of sailing within the lagoon of Majuro. The aim was to educate on Kwai operations under sail and to train the MISC crew hands on alongside the SV Kwai crew from Kiribati, USA and Australia. An assessment meeting took place after the training to capture the positive outcomes and summarize improvements for upcoming trainings in the future. The trainings already provided a first indication of training needs for the maritime sector in RMI.
Ensuring a multistakeholder approach, including financial institutions and bilateral and multilateral donors in the dialogue and more specifically on investment in the blue economy financial institutions are involved since start, in particular the EIB, AfD, KfW. The UfM receives also support from SIDA and GIZ for complimentary Blue Economy activities.
The UfMS will continue to promote discussion on current needs, limitations and opportunities to further encourage innovative financial instruments in the sustainable Blue Economy, through participation and co-organisation of future events such as Blue Invest events, organized by the European Comission, and follow up to the meeting on the implementation of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance.
Permanent representation North-South through the UfM CoPresidency (EU and Jordan);
Permament platform for dialogue - UfM Working group on Blue Economy (countries and stakeholders; countries are represented based on national priorities with respect to the BE dossier, thus contributing to a cross-sectorial exchange at regional level)
Solid tools for stakeholders' involvement, including the Med Blue Economy Platform; regular Stakeholders Conference/s; representation of categories of stakeholders at the UfM WG on Blue Economy
It is crucial to align strategies and implementation modalities and complement existing roadmaps.
The ambition is to foster the transfer, exploitation and mainstreaming of knowledge and results developed under different Euro-Mediterranean initiatives – including ENPI/ENI CBC Med Programme, Union for the Mediterranean, Interreg MED Programme, PRIMA, WestMED, the regional and bilateral components of the European Neighbourhood Policy, etc.
The multi-stakeholder’s approach is at the core of the regional dialogue on Blue Economy and at the heart of the UfM mandate. In this regard, the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform (MedBESP) was created to ensure the involvement of different stakeholders in a dynamic and interactive way, being a regional networking platform for sharing knowledge and supporting the development of the blue economy. It allows the facilitation of coordination and links among initiatives, programs and projects of relevance to blue economy, triggering the final impact of the existing initiatives.
The Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform has been proven to expand the Blue Economy community, to ensure flow of information and communicate all content types in an appealing, engaging, shareable way, to engage the community, to get platform users to share content and connect with each other.
Solid tools for stakeholders' involvement, including the Med Blue Economy Platform; regular Stakeholders Conference/s; representation of categories of stakeholders at the UfM WG on Blue Economy
The UfM identifies and supports concrete regional cooperation projects that enhance partnerships and interactions in the region between promoters, partners and beneficiaries through the scaling up effect and development of innovative initiatives.
The UfM acts as a catalyst of projects, accompanying promoters throughout the project lifecycle and enhancing regional dialogue to create synergies for partnerships.
The governance structure is designed in different levels to assure and assist with a continuous and regular regional dialogue around a common agenda on Blue Economy.
It is structured around three components and notably, the Blue Economy Working Group, the Stakeholder Conference/Event(s) and the Mediterranean Blue Economy Stakeholder Platform.
The well-established UfM Blue Economy Working Group that meets once or twice per year. The UfM Secretariat is in charge of organising the meetings, including up to 2 participants per member country and a broad range of representatives of different stakeholders categories (Managing Authorities, International Financial Institutions, Academia, Local Authorities, etc). Regular communication among partners ensures an effective functioning of the partnership between agencies during the overall implementation of the project’s activities. The main tasks of the group are:
Review the whole implementation of the Ministerial declaration;
Inform the group about regional and national advancements;
Exchange views and information
Review the implementation process and make decisions on the necessary changes that could potentially emerge;
Review main project expected results and outputs;
Propose measures to strengthen linkages with other relevant national, regional and global initiatives.
Permament platform for dialogue - UfM Working group on Blue Economy (countries and stakeholders; countries are represented based on national priorities with respect to the BE dossier, thus contributing to a cross-sectorial exchange at regional level)
The importance of having Regional Dialogue Platforms.
Ministerial Declarations allow the UfM Secretariat to structure accordingly platforms for regional dialogue and cooperation. These regional platforms have involved a cooperative network of over 25,000 stakeholders from around the Mediterranean and involve Governments, Local authorities,
International and regional organisations, International Financial Institutions and donors, Universities and Think Tanks, Civil society and the Private sector.
Political commitment and endorsement - the UfM Ministerial Declaration(s) on Sustainable Blue Economy
UfM Ministers commit to strengthen the blue economy sector and promote sustainable growth in the Mediterranean
Union for the Mediterranean
Ministers from the 42 Union for the Mediterranean countries have agreed to intensify their efforts towards a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean. Doing so, they want to ensure the sustainable development of the region around its main shared good – the Mediterranean Sea; promote the recovery of the region’s economies from the COVID-19 crisis; and address the environmental and climate challenges the region is facing.
The key areas of cooperation agreed by the 42 UfM countries are: governance and the future of sea basin strategies in the Mediterranean region; marine research and innovation, skills, careers and employment; sustainable food from the sea: fisheries and aquaculture; sustainable, climate-neutral and zero-pollution maritime transport and ports; marine litter; coastal and maritime tourism; Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Zone Management; marine renewable energies; maritime safety and security; sustainable investment.
Permanent representation North-South through the UfM CoPresidency (EU and Jordan);
Permament platform for dialogue - UfM Working group on Blue Economy (countries and stakeholders; countries are represented based on national priorities with respect to the BE dossier, thus contributing to a cross-sectorial exchange at regional level)
Solid tools for stakeholders' involvement, including the Med Blue Economy Platform; regular Stakeholders Conference/s; representation of categories of stakeholders at the UfM WG on BE
The importance of having a consolidated action-driven methodology, with a common ambition of creating effective links between the policy dimension and its operational translation into concrete projects and initiatives on the ground to adequately address the challenges of the region and its key interrelated priorities.
The UfM builds its identity around a political dimension, of Ministerial and governmental representatives’ meetings that define the priorities of the work through the adoption of a common regional agenda. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs meet once a year at the UfM Regional Forum to define strategic areas and priorities. Declarations adopted by consensus by the 42 Ministers define the scope and objectives of this common agenda. Sectorial ministerial meetings usefully complement the political dialogue by addressing key strategic priorities in the region.
