The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum and Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) organized a training called “Bluepreneur: Coastal Youth Community Training” in Vanuatu, 15 – 17 June 2023. This 3-days training programme aimed to provide learning and knowledge to increase awareness of the blue economy and sustainable maritime activities of the local communities.
The objective of the training was to empower local communities in Vanuatu in the blue economy sector, owing to the fact that Asia-Pacific regional trade is expected to continue growing modestly. Small businesses serve as a key for economic development and contribute significantly to the financial stability of the local community. Therefore, the ecosystem of youth in an entrepreneurial role is essential to supply those needs. Mr Leonard Louma, Director General of MSG Secretariat in his opening remarks addressed his optimism about this very first joint-programme of AIS Forum Secretariat and MSG.
“I warmly welcome you all to this very first collaboration between the AIS Forum and the MSG on the Bluepreneur training. I hope this will be the first of many more future endeavors that the AIS Forum and the MSG will embark on in the future,” said Louma.
The training was attended by young entrepreneurs, mainly youth, and established women entrepreneurs in Port Vila. As one of the side events of the 7th Senior Official Meeting of the AIS Forum, this was the first collaboration between AIS Forum and MSG and conducted under the auspices of the MSG Roadmap for Inshore Fisheries Management and Sustainable and AIS Blue Hub initiative. The training was also attended by Mr Sora Lokita, Director of the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia. In his remarks, he stated:
“We need to connect and amass the available capital and skills needed by the entrepreneur in the Pacific to empower the market exposure, business skills, and strategic management skill,”.
Three key experts from Vanuatu, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea were invited to lead the participants at this training. A number of key topics on this training included business fundamentals, business management, planning and setting goals and impact based on the SDGs, marketing strategy, basic bookkeeping and finance concepts for MSMEs, and also given a development session for product formulation.
In response for the training, Ms. Riny Modaso, Project Coordinator of the AIS Forum Secretariat said that this could be the key to success for the communities to boost business growth in the Pacific areas. “The key to success in entrepreneurship is to know that your idea may fail, but never give up on innovating new ideas into reality.”
It is hoped that after the training, the participants will be able to build a sustainable business for utilizing the ocean resources, such as start-ups in their respective countries in the Pacific region, particularly in Vanuatu. These entrepreneurs are set to build in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, in return to provide them with better livelihood as well as business sustainability through community-based approaches.
The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum was established following the UN Ocean Conference in 2017, with the aim of fostering collaboration and concrete development cooperation among archipelagic and island states across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. The forum has become an influential platform for addressing crucial issues among its member countries since its establishment, and will continue to expand its work to combat certain issues in this regard.
Media contact:
Thomas Benmetan, Head of Marketing & Communication for the AIS Forum (thomas.benmetan@undp.org)
Ana Tamani, Media & Communications Officer for the MSG Secretariat.
