Second Meeting of the Working Group on the Blue Economy (WGBE)

The Blue Economy play an important role in economic growth, oceanic sustainability and social inclusion. It has been gaining increasing interest of IORA Member States that are all committed to prioritise this sector as a driver for sustainable development and economic growth. To discuss on the way forward for the development of the Blue Economy in IORA, the Working Group on the Blue Economy (WGBE), in collaboration with the IORA Secretariat, will host the Second Meeting of the WGBE virtually on 12 April 2021 from 10:00 to 14:30 hrs (GMT+4).

The meeting will discuss on the implementation of the WGBE Work Plan, taking into account the current COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted on the concretisation of some of the activities of the Work Plan. In this context, the Coordinator of the WGBE will provide an overview on the impact of COVID-19 on IORA’s Blue Economy.

The objectives of the meeting are, inter alia, to:

• conduct a focused discussion on the implementation of the Work Plan on the Blue Economy with a focus on Post-COVID strategies, including re-prioritisation of activities;
• consider emerging issues raised by the Committee for Senior Officials;
• explore cooperation with international organisations
• Encourage Member States and Dialogue Partners to provide commitment in the implementation of the Work Plan; and
• Provide an overview on the upcoming Blue Economy and climate change events.

It is hoped that this meeting will enable Member States to provide concrete recommendation on Post-COVID strategies, including re-prioritisation of activities, for the implementation of the WGBE Work Plan, as well as explore joint ventures in advancing Blue Economy in IORA.