The 2nd United Nations Ocean Conference was held in Lisbon, from June 27 to July 1, 2022, under the motto: “Save the Oceans, Protect the Future”. Its main objective was to discuss ocean related matters, with a main focus on the issue of sustainability, as a way of leveraging the blue economy to improve the quality of the largest ecosystem on the planet and thus contribute to the well-being of people.

The event co-organized by Portugal and Kenya, was attended by more than 7000 people from different countries around the world. Mozambique was present through the participation of several individuals, with emphasis on the Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), Lídia Cardoso, the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources (MOPHRH), Carlos Mesquita, the CEO of the ProAzul, Simeão Lopes and the Director of Innovative Financing of the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), Sean Nazerali, among others.

BIOFUND attended different parallel sessions with emphasis on the sessions organized by the Mozambican delegation, led by the Minister of MIMAIP. This session acknowledged Mozambique’s leadership in the Sustainable Strengthening of Oceanic Economies.

One of the relevant topics for BIOFUND was the presentation of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs Project, for which BIOFUND will be the convening agent for Mozambique. This new fund is aimed at boosting private sector initiatives that have not only an economic return, but also a positive impact on the marine environment.

BIOFUND took the opportunity to exchange experiences with other countries on sustainable financing of crucial initiatives to preserve, maintain, and rehabilitate the oceans, as well as to discuss the various opportunities on blue economy, coral rehabilitation and aquaculture in Mozambique.

For Sean Nazerali, this event is a starting point for liaising with funders and innovators around the world, in order to improve and accelerate national actions, thus creating a greater impact on results in Mozambique.

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