Held at the Oakwood Premier Hotel, Incheon, Republic of Korea from
14-15 November 2023
Remarks by the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Dr. Filimon Manoni
Excellencies, Member Government Representatives, Representatives of Ocean Action Communities, Ladies and Gentleman
Iakwe! Bula Vinaka! Gut pla dei Olgeta!
Firstly, let me convey my sincere apologies to the organizers for not being able to attend in person this very important meeting.
My office is represented here by one of my staff to highlight the great importance I attach to this important work of the follow up and review of our regional and global commitments. As the Pacific have been the main proponents of a dedicated goal on the ocean, SDG14, we remain committed to ensuring that our region, and of course the rest of the world, delivers on what we promised ourselves that we would do for the ocean eight years ago at the United Nations.
I would like to acknowledge the Department for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, and its partners for organising this timely workshop and for inviting me to be part of this important occasion.
Last week, I was in Rarotonga, Cook Is at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting where they endorsed the Implementation Plan for the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent [as endorsed by our Leaders last year]. When discussing follow up and review of the SDGs, further clarity may be needed on how the regional and global agendas overlay with each other. By this I mean, how reporting on one agenda, also meets reporting on another, particularly where elements are quite similar elements.
My role, as the Forum Leaders appointee to advocate for Pacific regional ocean priority issues at various levels, is on the one hand to ensure the Pacific voice is amplified at the global stage and to impress on the global ocean discourse the interests of the custodians of the largest ocean on planet earth. My Office, the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) works with Governments, Civil Society, International and Regional Organizations and Private Sector, all of whom come under the umbrella of the Pacific Ocean Alliance to coordinate ourselves in furthering the interests of the Blue Pacific Continent.
In addition, Forum Leaders in their 2021 Ocean Statement called on OPOC to monitor and report on progress in the implementation of regional ocean commitments whether they are global or regional.
There are two ways that we intend to do this ahead of Nice in 2025:
- Every three years, the year prior to the UN Ocean Conference, I issue a comprehensive report on the status of the Blue Pacific Ocean Report (BPOR), to provide our Leaders a snapshot on the status of implementation of regional and global commitments. This report pulls together all the sectoral regional reports from regional organizations and civil society canvassed into a single report, providing an overarching picture of the different sectors. For e.g., it provides report cards on the implementation of our regional ocean policy. It also provides recommendations on aspects of implementation that can be improved. The first of these reports was issued in 2021, with the next report expected to be reported to Forum Leaders in August 2024 in Tonga. I encourage all of you to contribute to this report by sharing relevant information from your own programs with the OPOC.
- Number Two. Forum Leaders in 2014 mandated OPOC to develop an Ocean Initiatives Registry of all the ocean projects that occur within our region. The aim of this registry or dashboard, as we are calling it, is to alleviate the reporting burden for many countries. My staff will give an insight of this tool, where information is allocated by country, thematic area and includes alignment of these projects to our Regional Ocean Policy, and SDG14 instruments. The utility of this dashboard is that new ocean players coming into the region will be able to know which stakeholders are operating in the areas they want to be involved in to promote coherence, avoid duplication and cutting across the different themes. The aim now will be also to look at the alignment of projects to the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan of Collective Regional Actions as well as the Global Biodiversity Framework Commitments relating to the ocean. I believe this way, reporting will be harmonised and alleviate reporting burden for our countries. My vision for this dashboard in the future will be to serve as a one stop shop where countries can, through a click of a button, generate the necessary reports ahead of time to report timelines at Conferences, but also for their Voluntary National Reviews. I seek partners collaboration on this to help my office achieve this vision.
Covid-19 and other factors have put a strain on the implementation of ocean commitments. As It was highlighted that SDG14 was indeed the least funded goal. The Second Pacific Sustainable Development Report 2022 raised the need to continue regional and global efforts to address the lack of data, methodologies and limited statistical capacity in the region to monitor SDG14 progress. The underlying challenge that is faced by all is the common resource of human manpower and coordination.
My office is expected to have fully dedicated personnel who will continue the work on the OPOC Ocean Initiatives Dashboard in consultation with members and regional organizations as well as with global stakeholders to ensure that by Nice, we are ready to derive progress reports for our own countries. I hope this workshop will strengthen collaboration in data collection and dissemination of data widely accessible for island developing countries such as those from our region.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
In closing, I no doubt have full confidence that the next few days will be a success for participants here, but also for the region as a whole. I wish you all well in your discussions and look forward to all your support to our region in the future.
Thank you all very much for your attention!!
