This observation was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, during the workshop to launch the project “Management of multiple sectoral threats in marine ecosystems to achieve sustainable blue growth”, which took place today in the City of Mindelo.
“ The Government of Cape Verde intends, within a period of 15 years, to make the sea and the maritime economy the second largest exporter of services and goods. The blue economy will be one of the greatest generators of wealth and decent employment in the country, strengthening the resilience of the balance of payments , while contributing to economic diversification , without neglecting social and environmental sustainability, recognizing the need to strengthen coastal communities , conserve biodiversity and habitats and act against climate change ”.
This observation was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, during the workshop to launch the project “Management of multiple sectoral threats in marine ecosystems to achieve sustainable blue growth”, which took place today in the City of Mindelo.
According to the Minister, the Project was designed in a context in which the Government of Cape Verde chose the blue economy as an option to diversify the country's growth model, expand access to markets, integrate global value chains and strengthen resilience, while At the same time, it gives a new focus to conservation policies in which biodiversity, geodiversity and healthy ecosystems must be catalyzing and not limiting factors for the country's development, requiring a paradigm shift in terms of conservation.
In turn, the Minister of the Sea, who also participated in the launch of the project, said that the Government is aware that the sea is, today, a world of opportunities, and of its importance for communities in a sustainable development perspective. “That is why our objective has been to implement policies aimed at the sector and, above all, to bet on better management of coastal zones”.
The representative of the United Nations Program in Cape Verde, Celeste Benchimol, also present at the event, assured that the UNDP, as the project execution agency, and other United Nations agencies once again reiterate their commitment to, together with the other partners , continue to support the Government in the development and implementation of policies and strategies and mobilization of partnerships and resources necessary for the sustainable development of the country.
The conservation of biodiversity in Cape Verde and the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine natural resources, in addition to being everyone's responsibility, has deserved increased attention from the State and civil society.
The Project “Managing Multiple Sectoral Threats in Marine Ecosystems to Achieve Sustainable Blue Growth”, is financed by the Global Environment Fund, GEF, in an amount of US$ 3,787,864 and is expected to mobilize as co-financing an amount in excess of US$ 22,000,000 .
The Government chose the UNDP as the execution agency for the Project, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, through the National Directorate for the Environment, in close collaboration and articulation with the Ministry of the Sea. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism, the Coast Guard and Maritime Police and Civil Society Organizations will also have key responsibilities relevant to the implementation of the project.
Source: Government of the Republic of Cape Verde