African Union Commits to 2028 Deadline for National Blue Economy Integration

At the third Africa Blue Economy Week in Angola, African Union member states adopted the Luanda Declaration, pledging to create financing mechanisms such as national blue funds, sovereign blue bonds, debt‑for‑nature swaps and blended‑finance vehicles by 2027 and to embed the African Union Blue Economy Strategy into national laws, budgets and development plans by 2028.

The declaration also calls for the introduction of blue‑economy accounting, a continental monitoring framework (2026‑2030) and biennial progress reports to AU heads of state. It aims to move maritime projects from policy to funded programmes and attract private and concessional capital.

At the same summit, Seychelles Minister Faure urged greater financing for climate‑resilient water infrastructure and deeper integration of the blue‑economy agenda, citing the island’s “Island Watch” citizen‑science programme that monitors freshwater ecosystems. He highlighted the need for women and youth participation and looked ahead to a unified African voice at the UN water conference in the United Arab Emirates in December 2026.