Cabinet Approves Japanese Partnership to Advance Blue Economy

Antigua and Barbuda is moving to strengthen the policy and legal framework governing its marine resources through a proposed partnership with Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Cabinet has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and an accompanying Technical Agreement to support the development of the country’s Blue Economy.

According to the October 21 Cabinet report, the agreements are expected to be signed on November 3, 2026, during a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting side event titled “Blue Finance and Innovation.”

The collaboration will focus on three priorities: developing a Blue Economy Policy to inform a proposed Blue Economy Bill, finalising existing draft legislation and establishing a Marine Spatial Planning framework.

Together, these measures are intended to provide clearer guidance for economic activity involving the sea while protecting the marine environment.

Marine Spatial Planning will address how different activities use coastal and marine areas. The Cabinet report identifies tourism, fisheries and maritime transportation among the interests that must be coordinated to allow development while safeguarding ecosystems.

The Department of the Blue Economy was established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Government’s efforts to diversify the economy and identify additional opportunities for sustainable growth.

Its mandate includes improving livelihoods and promoting economic development while maintaining the health of the marine environment.

Cabinet said a comprehensive policy and legislative framework would strengthen the department’s ability to pursue projects capable of attracting investment, generating revenue and creating employment.

The proposed partnership is intended to provide technical cooperation to help establish that foundation. The report did not announce specific investment projects or funding amounts.

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation was established in Japan in 1986 with an endowment from the Nippon Foundation, according to the Cabinet report. It merged with the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in 2015 and has maintained a focus on the long-term sustainability of the world’s oceans.

The Government said the collaboration would support economic diversification and the sustainable use of marine resources, with benefits intended to extend to future generations