Twinning Reflections

Participating in the GEFIW:LEARN Blue Economy Twinning Exchange has been one of the most enriching professional experiences of my career.

The exchange came at a particularly meaningful moment for the African SIDS Blue Economy project, which began implementation in June 2025 across Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros,Mauritiusand Seychelles.

Anchored institutionally with the African Union Commission, financed by the GEF, and implemented by UNDP in partnership with GWPSA, the project was still in its inceptionphase and focused on laying the core foundations for implementation.

In contrast, PROCARIBE+ is already in its third cycle of GEF funding andwelladvanced in its institutional development, technical approaches, and partnerships. Entering the Caribbean context at this early stage offered a rare opportunity toobserve, firsthand, what a well-established blue economy programme looks like in practice.

Our delegation began the exchange in Cartagena, Colombia, where we attended the first Regional Partnership Forum of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM).Despite the distance from Africa, the conversations on marine governance, degradation, climate pressures, and integrated data and knowledge managementin the Caribbeanfelt remarkablysimilar tothose taking place at home.

What stood out most in Cartagena was the maturity and depth of regional coordination within the Caribbean.

Their decades-long investment in building shared governance mechanisms offers a blueprint for Africa’s SIDS. From the OCM to the Cartagena Convention frameworks, their approach to collective ocean stewardship is something our region can adapt and expand. I found myself reflecting on how African SIDS couldbenefitfrom similar long-term, institutionally rooted processes.The session reinforced why our African SIDS projectmust continue strengthening regional platforms and knowledge systems.

The second part of the exchange took us to Belize, and it is here that the experience became truly transformative for me on a personal level. Belize embodies a story of courage and reinvention—one where a nation chose a bold, people-centred model for protecting biodiversity while unlocking economic opportunity. It was impossible not to admire the clarity of purpose behind Belize’s Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation.

Listening to the Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit describe how long-term conservation financing was secured not only impressed me but also inspired deep reflection on how African SIDScan furthershape our own blue finance futures.

In discussions with the Belize Fisheries Department, the Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, and theTurneffeAtoll Sustainability Association, I was struck by the precision with which Belize aligns science, policy, and community action. This triangulation of science-based decision-making, legally embedded management tools, and genuine community co-management,demonstratesthat small nations canoperatewith world-leading sophistication.

Surveyingturquoise edge of the reserve, learning about community-driven protection of Fishery Replenishment Zones, it was impossible to ignore the delicate balance communitiesnavigate:meeting today’s needs while protecting the ecosystems that must sustain them tomorrow.

We even had the chance to go snorkelling! That wasan unforgettable moment where the science, the policy, and the lived reality of marine conservation came together beneath the surface. Seeing the vibrancy of the reef and the fragility that underpins it made the lessons of the exchange feel tangible and urgent.

The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment’s (TIDE’S) amazing work in balancing enforcement, education, and livelihood support aligns closely with the approaches we are advancing in African SIDS’ coastal communities such as the Cacheu River Tarrafes Natural Park in Guinea-Bissau.

Professionally, I came into this exchange hoping to build practical knowledge that could strengthen our national demonstrations undertheAfrican SIDS project.

Those expectations were exceeded.

Whether it was MarineSpatialPlanningprocesses that can support our work inCabo Verde, community co-management models that resonate withComoros, or blue finance innovations that can inspire investment opportunities for all six African SIDS-every engagement in Belize and Cartagena offered a direct line of relevance to our work.

On a personal level, I was deeply moved by the generosity of our hosts, particularlythe Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation of Belize,and the sense of kinship between Caribbean and African SIDS.

I remain profoundly grateful to IW:LEARN for enabling this experience, and to the many partners who contributed to such an enriching exchange, including the African Union Commission, the Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, the Belize Fisheries Department, theTurneffeAtoll Sustainability Association, the Blue Bonds and Finance Permanence Unit, the World Wildlife Fund,the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, the TIDE, UNDP, the GEF IW:LEARN team, and our PROCARIBE+ counterparts.

SIDS everywhere face the same structural vulnerabilitiesincludinglimited land, fragile ecosystems, climate exposure, external economic dependence, and capacity constraints. But we also share a remarkable resilience and an unmatched ability to innovate from scarcity.This exchange reaffirmed that African SIDS are not working in isolation; they are part of a wider global island community with shared values, shared challenges, and shared futures.

As we prepare to welcome the PROCARIBE+ team to Africa in 2026, I am filled with excitement. Our African SIDS have much to showincludingour bold national demonstrations, our evolving governance frameworks, and our regional ambitions through the African Union. This twinning partnership has already shown the power of collaboration, and I am confident that the African leg will deepen this bond even further.

Ultimately, thetwinning exchange deepened my understanding of the blue economy space and affirmed the significance of the work we are doing. Our oceans hold the history, identity, and future of our nations. Through partnerships like this, we can shape a more resilient and prosperous future for all SIDS.

The purpose of the project ''Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in AIO SIDS'' is to achieve integrated, cross sectoral sustainable management of the Blue Economy in African SIDS through improved blue governance to build resilient communities and conserve coastal and marine ecosystem services.

Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, and executed by the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWP-SA).

Words and Photos by Ms. Shamiso Mlilwana Project Coordinator African SIDS Blue Economy Project