As part of the World Coastal Clean-up Day, the European Union Delegation in Mozambique on 17 September 2022 hosted a #EUBeachCleanup activity jointly with the UN´s Campaign #ACTNow, the Ministry of Land and Environment, the Municipal Council of the capital city Maputo and the Cooperativa de Educação Ambiental REPENSAR.

The event was attended by nearly 400 participants, among government and municipal representatives, civil society and private sector, local NGOs and associations, and students and volunteers. The European Union was represented by the Head of EU Delegation Antonino Maggiore, and the Ambassadors and representatives of the EU Member States Embassies present in Mozambique.  The Country Resident Coordinator Myrta Kaulard represented the United Nations in Mozambique.

An extensive area of the Costa do Sol Beach, in Maputo, has been cleaned of over a tonne of diverse litter, from plastic and glass to metal, wood, pieces of clothing and other sorts the waste on the beach. 

The EU Ambassador to Mozambique stated at the occasion: “our partnership represents hope for cleaner, safer and more sustainable oceans”, highlighting the relevance of EU partnership with diverse entities and organizations to contributing for the mitigation of climate change”. For that ultimate goal, he said, “it is of utmost importance to make the public aware of the challenges of marine littering and plastic waste”.

The UN Resident Coordinator highlighted the joint efforts to raise awareness of all relevant stakeholders to the cause of protecting oceans from marine pollution, in particular the plastic pollution, and act now.

This was the third consecutive year the EU Delegation organized the #EUBeachCleanup in Mozambique.

About the #EUBeachCleanUp

The #EUBeachCleanup Campaign is an EU initiative in partnership with the United Nations and our blue friends the Smurfs. This year, in celebration of the 2022 European Year of Youth, we are more than ever focusing on how to empower young people to become active in the campaign. The younger generations can turn activism into societal and policy change, and help protect our ocean, rivers and beaches from plastic pollution.