Under the project "Mitigation of sectoral pressures on marine and coastal biodiversity and strengthening the national system of marine protected areas" (MPA2) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), MEDD has signed a technical partnership agreement with state institutions.

The project addresses the main obstacles to the effective management of marine protected areas and marine ecosystem services. It aims primarily to strengthen the effectiveness of Djibouti's marine protected area system through capacity building, expansion of the national marine protected area network, establishment of a sustainable financing mechanism, and gender mainstreaming, knowledge management, and monitoring and evaluation.

To achieve the results and ensure integrated planning, MEDD has signed partnership agreements with key state institutions in the framework of this project, specifically with the Ministry of Equipment and Transport and the Ports Authority, the Directorate of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Sea, in charge of Water Resources, the Office of Tourism and the National Union of Women of Djibouti. The MEDD also aims to increase the number of partnerships by the end of the project. These privileged partnerships will strengthen the effectiveness of MPA management and allow for continued engagement of these partners, including those from the economic sector such as tourism.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are strategic tools for the protection and conservation of Djibouti's marine biodiversity, including its species, habitats, ecosystems, and the services they provide, in order to ensure sustainable management and use of marine resources. Combining considerable ecological and social-economic benefits, they could contribute to the achievement of several sustainable development goals, including poverty reduction, improved food security and the fight against climate change.

It is important to remember that stakeholder engagement and participatory planning are the prerequisites for a marine protected area to deliver environmental and socio-economic benefits through a shared understanding of needs and priorities.

UNDP will continue to support the Government of Djibouti in the effective and equitable use of marine protected areas by providing technical expertise and capacity building support for the governance of marine protected areas, as well as their use as part of broader integrated ocean and coastal management systems.