Your Excellency Mr. Idriss Déby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad and Chairperson of the African Union;

Your Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Togolese Republic and our gracious host;

Your Excellencies – Heads of State and Government of AU Member States

Excellencies Ministers

Excellencies AU Commissioners

Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr. Carlos Lopez

Distinguished Heads of Delegations;

Representatives of the Regional Economic Communities

Distinguished and Invited Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this Extraordinary Summit of the African Union on Maritime Safety, Security and Development. Our sincere appreciation to President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Togolese Republic, for initiating the process that made this Extraordinary Summit possible, and for hosting it in the beautiful city of Lomé. I would also like to thank the Government and people of Togo for the warm welcome and the excellent facilities placed at our disposal.

I wish to also thank the children and youth who perfumed here today, for having reminded us of the Pan African co values of unity and solidarity.

Before I continue, I would like to say that I am delighted to be here in this historic city, given its reputation as one of the African venues where fundamental continental instruments have been negotiated and adopted. I have in mind the Lomé Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, adopted by the 35th Ordinary Session of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in July 2000. You will agree with me that the Lomé Declaration has served as a strong instrument against the scourge of coup d’états and other forms of unconstitutional changes of government. Equally important, is the Constitutive Act of our African Union, which was also adopted here in Lomé in 2000.

Excellencies, Africa is considered as a big island, with 38 countries being coastal or island States, with two oceans and seas, and a coastal line three times the size of her landmass. It is therefore important for our development. It is therefore an important we consider mechanisms to explore our continental shelf

A proposal we may wish to consider is to put together a continental team of experts and lawyers, who can be a resource to countries that need them, to advance and defend their rights in this domain.  I am happy to say that some women maritime lawyers have offered their services should they be required for this.

Excellencies; Over 90% of African imports and exports are transported through the seas, oceans and waterways, maritime issues are therefore not only a concern of coastaland island countries, but equally so for landlocked countries.

Indeed, the development of a flourishing and sustainable blue economy is a key pillar for economic and social transformation, under the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, which is our framework for Africa’s future.

The 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy) adopted in 2014, comprehensively looks at matters of maritime safety, infrastructure development, fishing and aquaculture, as well as the issues of the laws of the sea and environmental sustainability of our oceans and seas.  The Strategy describes the blue oceans economy as part of the new frontier of the African Renaissance.

The opportunities in the blue ocean economy are abound, representing trillions of dollars’ worth in goods and services and millions of jobs. This ranges from sectors such as shipping, logistics, insurance, port management, tourism, fishing and aquaculture.

African interest in the blue ocean economy has grown, with the formation of continental associations of port management, ship-owners and women in maritime, to mention, but a few. More countries are adopting national strategies on their blue economies, as an integral part of their national development plans and domestication of Agenda 2063.

Excellencies, Pursuant the AU Constitutive Act we are guided by the vision and the need to “build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector, in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples”.  In pursuit of this vision, yesterday we had the opportunity to interact with associations of, ship owners, women in maritime, maritime administrators, and port operators. 

I must say the meeting was very enriching.

Firstly, they, like the PRC and the Executive Council, expressed enthusiasm on the African Charter on Maritime Security, Safety and Development but also noted the limitations of the Charter in as far as the development aspects are concerned.

They will certainly have an opportunity to make further inputs in the unfolding processes that will seek to strengthen the development aspects of the Charter.  I wish to take this opportunity to highlight some of their concerns:

1. In relation to ownership, they propose that we promote ways for Africans to own their own vessels by amongst others ensuring that African owned cargo as well as our exports and imports be transported by African owned ships;
2. They also requested that we pay attention to coastal shipping instead of ferrying most our goods by road;
3. They also raised the issue of financing and they propose that we consider developing a Maritime Bank which can assist African business people;
4. They finally proposed that the AU establish a permanent maritime unit at the Commission, which unit will be composed of professionals and technocrats who will research, collate data and advise on the maritime industry, legislators and various sectors.

Amongst other things raised are the constraints faced by women who are largely to be found in service areas such as waitressing, cleaning and catering, and not in the core of the industry.

They also asked me to thank the President of Guinea for appointing a female Director General and Deputy Director General to run the port of Guinea Conakry.  They expressed their hope that elsewhere it will soon be the same.

They also highlighted the need for us to provide a focussed and conceited attention to the capacity building and the skilling of women and young people.

Excellencies, There are some additional issues we also ought need to pay attention to:

• We need to create opportunities for African entrepreneurs in the whole value chain for instance in logistics, insurance, shipbuilding and other allied sectors, so that we modernize the African maritime sector and take control of it whilst creating jobs for your people.
• The development of our fishing and aquaculture sectors as part of the broader drive for agricultural modernization and food security, since over 10 million of our people derive their livelihood from fishing.
• Cooperation around coastal and floating tourism, for Africa to access a greater portion of the global tourism sector.
• The development of the blue economy labour market, through skills and research in this sector, so that we may indeed secure the millions of jobs.

Excellencies; One of the actions from the 2050 AIM-Strategy is the declaration of 25 July each year as the African Day of Seas and Oceans and 2015 to 2025 as the “Decade of African Seas and Oceans”, to rally action around the blue oceans economy.   We need more countries and RECs to join in on the celebration of this day, to raise knowledge about the potential of our oceans and seas. More specifically, the day should be used to raise awareness amongst young people about protecting our oceans and seas, and about jobs and careers in the blue oceans economy.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, This Summit will consider the African Charter on Maritime Security, Safety and Development. Undoubtedly, the development of economic, social and commercial activities in our maritime spaces, must go together with securing these important assets.

The security and safety dimensions of the charter are aimed at fostering cooperation to secure our maritime space for the common good of Africa. It deals with prevention and addressing of maritime crimes including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, trafficking in persons as well as drug and arms, which are serious threats to the peace, security, stability and economic wellbeing of our member States. To enable our blue economy to flourish, we must take the necessary steps to promote and ensure security, safety and sound management of Africa’s maritime domain.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Our national, regional and continental approaches must also take in consideration the environmental dimensions of the blue economy, so that we must preserve ecosystems, and sustainably use these resources for both current and future generations.

A key challenge facing our oceans and seas is pollution, which is sometimes toxic and from elsewhere.  It is sad that 8 million tons of plastics each year are being dumped in our oceans and seas. In fact, at the current rate by 2050 there will be more plastics in the oceans than fish. We must therefore integrate stronger waste management strategies in the development of our coastal areas and cities. In addition, in the same way that Africa sees its biodiversity on land as part of our heritage to be valued and preserved, we also need to do more to preserve our oceans, including through marine protection areas.

The draft Charter before this Assembly calls for the protection of African waters, protection that should also prevent the dumping of waste, including toxic and chemical waste.

Excellencies, As we gather here today for this important Extraordinary Summit, we must claim ownership of this new global frontier, and join hands in building the blue economy and addressing this pressing issue of maritime safety and security.

This is where a collaborative approach to maritime issues comes in, so that we are able to share information, build cooperative ventures and have control and ownership of our maritime domain..

Your Excellencies As we gather here today, I would like to urge you to adopt the African Charter on Maritime Security, Safety and Development, and take measures, which will strengthen its development aspects.

The Charter is also expected to consolidate the efforts being made under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the African Maritime Transport Charter and other relevant international instruments on maritime safety, security and development.

It also aims is to boost the implementaton of the 2050 AIM Strategy in line with Agenda 2063, which sees the blue oceans economy as a critical frontier for African transformation.

I wish you fruitful deliberations. I thank you for your kind attention.