2 December 2016
Secretary of State, USA, John Kerry hosted the 2016 Our Ocean conference in Washington, D.C. on September 15 to 16. Next year, the Our Ocean conference will be hosted by the European Union, in Malta. The annual conferences focus key ocean issues such as: marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and climate-related impacts on the ocean.
The European Commission said that the choice was a significant recognition of the efforts of EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella, and the EU as a whole, to help deliver international cooperation on ocean issues. It builds on Vella's pledge that the EU plays a key role in improving Ocean Governance.
"If we want to ensure a more sustainable use of the oceans and their resources, we need to close legal gaps, cooperate more effectively and strengthen enforcement – in short, we need better ocean governance,” Vella told the current conference.
“I therefore intend to launch a major initiative on international ocean governance before the end of the year. We need to keep the momentum for change.”
The 2017 conference will build on the issues of the ocean and climate change, marine pollution and sustainable fishing. It will further develop how the Ocean can contribute to sustainable blue growth, including through new energy sources such as tidal and wave technology.
Ocean pledges from past conferences:
For reading more about the INTERNATIONAL OCEAN GOVERNANCE: AN AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR OCEANS please click on the link.