Let’s get our act together on Ocean’s right

14TH TRIENNIAL PACIFIC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Women in Ocean Governance: Promises and Challenges Event
Friday 23rd April 2021
Remarks by Dr Filimon Manoni
Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum

1. Good morning to all of you who are tuning in into this platform from across our Blue Pacific It is a privilege indeed to interact with all of you today on issues of great consequence to the future of the region in the context of the oceans governance.
2. At the outset however, please allow me to extend to you all my sincere apologies on behalf of the Pacific Oceans Commissioner, who is unavoidably occupied at the moment, and is therefore not able to join us at this time. On her behalf, I take this opportunity to welcome you all to this event.
3. As I pondered over the value of my contribution to the debate this morning, I thought very deeply about the message that is intertwined in the topic for this side event. I was really intent on deciphering the message in the theme: “Women in Ocean Governance: Promises and Challenges (What do women bring to the table that enhance effective ocean governance)?”
4. In digesting this topic, I recognized that captured in this theme were important nuances that project a powerful message not only about collective responsibility but quite specifically about sharing this responsibility and allowing space for the necessary discourse to occur and where all points of view are respected. So, in processing this, concepts, terminologies and words such as, provocative? game-changing? meaningfully progressing these values; and outside the box type of thinking, jumped at you.
5. The point is that the message that is interwoven in the theme of this event is a consequential one and a timely reminder that in the governance and management of ocean space it is critical that all points of view are heard, and in particular the perspective that our women colleagues bring to the table.

The centrality of the Ocean to Nation Building Aspirations

6. The peoples of the Pacific today, and generations of the past, continue to recognize the inseparable links between the oceans, seas and Pacific island peoples, their values, traditional practices and spiritual connections.
7. In my view this special connection confers upon us a unique mantle, that of stewards and custodians of some of the world’s richest biodiversity and marine resources for the benefit of our present and future generations.
8. Undoubtedly, the ocean remains for many of us in the Pacific, the sole and exclusive source of life and vitality. The economic development initiatives, and national building aspirations of our Pacific peoples are no doubt all pinned on sustaining the health and resilience of the oceans and the utilization of resources. In some cases in the region for instance, income from fisheries and oceanic and marine resources account for almost half of national budgets.
9. It is therefore in our collective interest as stewards of this vast resource to protect its diversity and richness into the future, as there is no doubt that future of Pacific peoples is intrinsically tied to the health and resilience of the oceans and the sustainable use of resources.

What added value do women bring to the Ocean discussion?

10. The question then is, can women make a real difference in ocean governance are women making a difference? In a region such as ours it is easy to succumb to the urge to quickly employ a stereotyping lens, particularly in the instances where traditional settings and cultural practices appear to pre-ordain the roles members of members of society.
11. While I do not certainly profess to be an authority on the question of un-gendering the work on oceans governance, as described by Gissi, Portman and Hornidge, in their book, I must say that in the span of my career in the oceans related work both at the national regional and the wider international level, I was, and currently am, quite privileged to have served alongside women colleagues, peers, supervisors and staff of extra-ordinary calibre who are contributing every day of their professional lives to the effort to sustain the health and resilience of our oceans.
12. I have had the privilege of serving alongside Dr. Manu Tupou-Roosen (Director General FFA); Dr. Sangaa Clark (CEO PNAO); Pamela Maru Permanent Secretary Ministry Marine Resources (Cook Islands) Dr. Salome Tupou here at PIFS; Dr Josie Tamate Director-General Natural Resources Niue; former RMI President Dr. Hilda Heine – and of course the Pacific Oceans Commissioner and Secretary General – Dame Meg, to name a few. I have also observed at the community levels the role that women community leaders play in national effort to sustain their resources into the future.
13. So make no mistake, at least from my point of view that there is no question that women in their own right, and as co-equals have an important role to play in protecting the sanctity and richness of our oceans – and are in effecting playing this role every day in their own ways, in the policy development space, and at the implementation and technical levels. Are there challenges and stumbling blocks? Certainly, but we have a responsibility to recognize that and to clear the way for our women colleagues participation.

The future of our region?

14. What is the future of our ocean and our region? In response, I can only observe that our failure to recognize the value of all points of view in the oceans discourse no doubt will set us back from the gains we have been able to achieve over the years. As noted in the work around the development of the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy, the Ocean is if not the most, one of the most consequential drivers of change in the region. If we do not get our act on the oceans right, the consequences could be far-reaching into the future.
15. My parting word is that there is enough space in the oceans discourse for all points of view from all sectors of society to heard and to be respected, and it is refreshing to acknowledge the contribution of our women colleagues to the work on oceans. The blue Pacific is after all, an endowment to all of society.

I thank you.