Blue Agenda Development Fast Tracked through Indonesia-United Nations Partnership

A sustainable ocean economy is vital for Indonesia, as well as for other coastal nations. It contributes to higher revenues from ocean-based activities, which channel back into ocean conservation, encourage sustainable livelihoods and blue foods for coastal communities, and preserve ocean biodiversity with a recovering ocean and coastal ecosystem.

Jodi Mahardi, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime Resources at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs (Kemenko Marvest), said: “We and the UN are working together to build a strategic partnership on encouraging the acceleration of development in the field of maritime resources sustainably in accordance with the government's main objectives. We appreciate assistance to the Government of Indonesia in accelerating the achievement of government development targets, both short and medium terms in the maritime sector.”

The UN Resident Coordinator for Indonesia, Valerie Julliand, said: “Healthy oceans are critical to humanity’s survival. The UN system in Indonesia is pleased to join forces with the government and development partners to build a sustainable ocean economy”. She emphasised the “three Cs” – coordination, collaboration and commitment – to ensure that the work of all players is complementary, effective and efficient and contributing significantly to the government's Mid-term National Development Plan’s targets related to marine resources. It can also support unleashing the country’s blue economy potential in achieving the SDGs.

Under the National Blue Agenda Actions Partnership, Kemenko Marvest and the UN team in Indonesia are working closely with other relevant ministries and government agencies as well as the diplomatic community in support of Indonesia’s role as a global leader on the Blue Agenda. The blue agenda seeks to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors. The coordinated strategic support for Indonesia by the UN will focus on all four pillars: blue health, blue food, blue innovation and blue finances.

Deputy Mahardi urged relevant stakeholders to join the Partnership, which is scheduled to be launched on 14 November at Ocean 20 side event to the G20 summit in Bali.

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About the National Blue Agenda Actions Partnership:

There are four main pillars of the Partnership: 

1. Blue Health: (blue conservation and biodiversity, restoration, ecosystem management, coastal spatial planning,)
2. Blue Food (production, consumption, marine and aquaculture, market penetration and access on supply chain, food security system, small-scale producers, sustainability and product competitiveness certification, innovation and investment angle)
3. Blue Innovation (science & technology applications, human development, capacity building, employment, livelihood, e-applications)
4. Blue Finance: (creative finance, payment for ecosystem services, blue economy, blue bond, blue Sukuk, incubation/ start-up).

About the UN in Indonesia:

The United Nations (UN) is an international organisation founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States. The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. In Indonesia, the UN is committed to supporting the Government of Indonesia in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The UN Country Team is led by the UN Resident Coordinator (RC), the representative of the UN Secretary General at the country level. RCs lead UN Country Teams in consultations with the Government to define and agree on the UN strategic response to the Government’s development priorities in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

About the  Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs (Kemenko Marvest)

Is the Indonesian government ministry in charge of coordinating synchronizing as well as controlling policies in maritime affairs and investment led by Mr. Luhut B. Pandjaitan.  As stipulated in the Presidential Regulation No. 10/2015, Kemenko Marvest has the following functions:

• Coordinates and synchronizes the formulation, establishment and implementation of ministries policies in maritime affairs.
• Controls ministries' policies implementation in maritime affairs.
• Coordinates the implementation of the task, development, and provides administrative support to all elements of the organization within the Kemenko Marvest.
• Coordinates and synchronizes maritime state resilience development and maritime resources management.

Contacts:

Miklos Gaspar, Director of the UN Information Centre in Jakarta (UNIC): unic-jakarta@un.org

Andreas A. Hutahaean, Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs: andreashut@maritim.go.id