OCEAN AND CLIMATE AND SEALANE INITIATIVE
INTRODUCTION
The high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction) cover ~64% of the total global ocean and play a major role in absorbing carbon dioxide and regulating the Earth’s climate.
LINKAGE TO UNOC 3 MESAGING
Earlier this year at UNOC 3, Ocean Action Panel (OAP) 7 was on “Leveraging interlinkages between ocean, climate and biodiversity”. At this OAP, President Heine of the Republic of Marshall Is delivered a few points which I wish to reiterate here today:
- It makes sense from a practical perspective to have a coordinated approach to ocean as well as biodiversity in the context of climate change. We cannot afford to work in silos, and capacity shared is therefor of great importance. For example, data and information management systems could be linked up or shared, so as to save resources for other work.
- Integrated and comprehensive risk assessments that cover ocean, biodiversity and climate change should be encouraged and supported, with technical and financial resources. Some of these assessments are already happening, but more is needed.
- Turning to international cooperation, it is important for the secretariats of the three main international processes collect in-depth information on climate and biodiversity goals and targets as they relate to their respective agendas. We have experience of doing so in the Pacific, where Heads of Fisheries have climate and biodiversity goals and targets on their agenda.
- I would like to address the value that traditional knowledge brings to decision making in the region. When linked with modern science there is great potential for success. The Pacific have used traditional knowledge in a number of fields, from meteorology, fisheries, navigation and agricultural planting cycles, to name a few. Traditional knowledge is a key to coastal fisheries sustainability and management, for example through establishing temporary no catch or taboo areas.
As the role of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner is mandated by Leaders to lead coordination on BBNJ implementation in the region. I wish to share the ADDED VALUE OF THE BBNJ AGREEMENT – and also the important LINKAGE of this conversation TO OPOC’s SEALANE INITATIVE.
A climate benefit: Maintaining healthy, biodiverse ocean ecosystems enhances the ocean’s ability to absorb and store CO₂. In other words, as we often hear from the UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, there is no healthy planet without a healthy Ocean.
Ocean protection is crucial in both the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
Since COP28 in Dubai, as Pacific Ocean Commissioner, I have been consistently advocating for the sea-lane between COP28 to COP31. After COPs 29 and now in 30, the window of the sea-lane initiative becoming a reality is quickly closing in, with COP31 just in the horizon.
The Eastern Tropical Pacific Corridor as an inspiration that BBNJ ably facilitates a network of connected protection corridors right around the blue planet earth by COP31.
The dream is by COP31, we witness the extension of the Eastern Tropical Pacific corridor, eastwards through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean and also westwards to the West of the Pacific Ocean and into the Indian Ocean. That is the inspiration and dream for COP31.
So that the blue planet, no matter in which part of the world, that a global corridor as this will serve as the planets natural climate defence system and support.
I thank you all.
