Earth Today | SIDS want more ocean attention
Published:Thursday | October 5, 2023 | 12:08 AM
SMALL ISLAND developing states (SIDS) have called for the redoubling of global efforts towards ocean health, recognising the strong connection between the ocean and climate change, as well its value to their own sustainable development.
“The ocean and its resources are under considerable stress from anthropogenic sources, including greenhouse gas emissions and plastic pollution. We take note with concern of ongoing challenges such as biodiversity loss; maritime security; overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; coral reef bleaching; ocean acidification eutrophication; and coastal erosion, as well as implementation of measures such as satellite monitoring and the establishment of Marine Protected Areas and Integrated Coastal Zone Management,” noted the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in the 2023 AOSIS Leaders Declaration.
The declaration was issued following the Leaders Meeting, hosted along the sidelines of the recent United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York; and which saw the participation of UN officials, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“As custodians of the ocean that we deeply rely on, SIDS have actively supported conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources, including actively contributing to the development of recent key instruments. We call for improved access to financial and technical resources, as well as enhanced cooperation to support our efforts in addressing our challenges for the conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources,” they said.
AOSIS leaders have also thrown their weight behind the need to promote efficient water usage and to finalise the internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
“We recognise that the ocean provides a range of ecosystem services, contributes to food security, nutrition and decent jobs and livelihoods, and forms an important part of our natural and cultural heritage, and plays an essential role in our sustainable development. In this regard, we call for the promotion of efficient water usage at all levels, taking into account the water, food, energy, and environmental nexus,” they noted.
“We note with grave concern, the impact of plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, on small-island developing states, and encourage further efforts at all levels to prevent, reduce and eliminate plastic pollution. We call for Partnerships with regional and international partners to control this source of pollution, to support investment in modern integrated solid waste management systems, as well as the development of country specific strategies to reduce the risk of disasters,” the leaders added.
“We also call on the international community to finalise the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and ensure its effective implementation,” they noted further.
According to the leaders, there is no question of the value of the ocean to the development of SIDS such that effort needs to be put into enhancing their capacity to realise the full potential of ocean-based economies.
SIDS, the AOSIS leaders said meanwhile,are committed to “pursuing opportunities, including in relation to fisheries, aquaculture, energy and mineral resources, blue finance and high-integrity blue carbon markets, trade of premium blue carbon credits in regional and global exchange markets, and employment generation”.
“We call for public-private sector partnerships and appropriate capital market instruments, and technical assistance from development partners to enhance bankability and feasibility of sustainable blue economy projects,” they urged.
“Recognising the strong connection between the ocean and climate change, SIDS look forward to the future annual ocean and climate change dialogues that will explore this nexus further to strengthen ocean climate action under the Paris Agreement, in the light of the most up-to-date scientific findings, and foster ambitious ocean-based action, across the relevant international regimes and processes and UN bodies with mandates related to oceans,” they added.