Aligning Africad Maritime Ambitions with Broader Indian Ocean Regionalism

The policy brief examines the emergence of the Blue Economy as a central priority for African policymakers, specifically through the AU's 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy). It identifies a significant challenge of fragmentation, where maritime ambitions span a complex array of sector-specific institutions and programmes. The author suggests that the 2050 AIM Strategy should link with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which has recently undergone institutional renewal and adopted the Blue Economy as its top priority. The brief emphasizes that for these initiatives to succeed, they must avoid duplicating sector-specific efforts and instead focus on high-level integrated planning, improved communication platforms, and bolstered institutional capacity.

• The African Union's 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy) aims to increase wealth from Africa's oceans and inland waterways through sustainable sea-based activities, but its implementation is hindered by institutional fragmentation across various sectors and programmes.
• Despite the ambitious institutional framework proposed for the 2050 AIM Strategy—including a Department of Maritime Affairs and a Capital Fund—funding constraints mean that none of these mechanisms have been established, leaving coordination to an interim Task Force.
• The 2050 AIM Strategy proposes the creation of a Combined Exclusive Maritime Zone of Africa (CEMZA) to establish a maritime space without barriers, though this may raise concerns regarding national sovereignty and resource use.
• The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has transitioned from a loose structure to a more focused organization, adopting the Blue Economy as its top priority in October 2014 to generate employment and ensure regional sustainability.
• There is a risk of duplication and inefficiency as Blue Economy initiatives proliferate; the author argues that these initiatives should focus on networking, monitoring, and high-level integrated planning rather than duplicating sector-specific work.
• Effective implementation of maritime strategies requires improved public-facing communication platforms to facilitate institutional learning and international linkages, noting that current platforms like the IORA website often lack information on unit outcomes.

APA

BenKenstein, A. (2015). Aligning Africad Maritime Ambitions with Broader Indian Ocean Regionalism. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-25.pdf

Chicago

BenKenstein, Alex. Aligning Africad Maritime Ambitions with Broader Indian Ocean Regionalism. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-25.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BenKenstein |first1=Alex |title=Aligning Africad Maritime Ambitions with Broader Indian Ocean Regionalism |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-25.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2015aligning, author = {BenKenstein, Alex}, title = {{Aligning Africad Maritime Ambitions with Broader Indian Ocean Regionalism}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-25.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }