This yr’s Marine Areas Discussion board focuses on the Western Indian Ocean.
“Individually we’re one drop. Collectively we’re an ocean” – that is considered one of my favourite quotes. Within the present local weather, it serves as a reminder that even when the challenges appear overwhelming, the mixed efforts of people and communities can domesticate a optimistic future. As I mirror on the important thing moments in international ocean governance through the years, such because the legally binding worldwide instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine organic variety in areas past nationwide jurisdiction (BBNJ) or the negotiations for a world treaty in opposition to plastic air pollution, I can not assist however really feel a way of each urgency and hope.
Though the progress underscores a rising recognition and political will to guard the ocean, the challenges stay immense. The Marine Areas Discussion board, established in 2019 with funding from the German Ministry of Atmosphere, by way of the German Atmosphere Company and the European Union, will assist to ship change by working in direction of the implementation of world and regional targets by means of more practical stakeholder engagement. The Marine Areas Discussion board is an inclusive trade platform for various stakeholders from the world’s marine areas to come back collectively and discover efficient and scalable responses to urgent ocean sustainability challenges.
The 2023 Marine Areas Discussion board follows within the wake of the 2019 convention, which was held in Berlin and had a world focus. This time, it applies a regional lens to the Western Indian Ocean and might be hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania with the Republic of Seychelles and in shut partnership with the Nairobi Conference Secretariat and different key stakeholders. For 3 days, from November seventh to ninth, the Discussion board will carry collectively actors and stakeholders from throughout the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and past.
However why give attention to marine areas, and significantly now on this area? Given the vastness of the ocean, additional progress will require distinctive options tailor-made to the challenges and alternatives of a marine area, on this case the WIO area. Spanning the waters off East Africa, the WIO is a biodiversity hotspot, house to various marine life, coral reefs, mangroves and different very important ecosystems. Its coastal communities depend on the ocean for his or her livelihoods and sustenance. As with all, it is usually a area dealing with quite a few challenges, from overfishing and habitat degradation to the impacts of social inequality and local weather change.
Nevertheless, the WIO boasts a large number of initiatives and efforts geared toward safeguarding the marine setting and the individuals relying on it. The 2023 Marine Areas Discussion board acknowledges this and goals to enrich these endeavors. It supplies a possibility for casual exchanges, a platform for bringing these initiatives collectively, and a method to strengthen coordination amongst them. It additionally goals to facilitate exchanges between the world’s marine areas, fostering mutual studying between the WIO and different areas, whereas additionally facilitating data trade.
How does the Discussion board meet the wants of the WIO? Inclusivity is essential for the general societal shift in direction of sustainability, together with in ocean governance processes, and it’s central to the planning of the 2023 Marine Areas Discussion board. Preparatory analysis and deep engagement with regional stakeholders and companions have been mixed, guaranteeing that the themes and lenses guiding discussions genuinely mirror the area’s wants and challenges. Collaborating intently with the Nairobi Conference Secretariat and different regional companions within the WIO, stakeholders collectively form and lead particular classes with clear anticipated outcomes in sight.
With this newest iteration of the Marine Areas Discussion board I hope that we’re addressing the particular ocean challenges and contributing to bridging gaps in regional ocean governance. As we come collectively from November seventh to ninth, it is a reminder that we will form a extra sustainable future for individuals and planet.
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