While welcoming the High Seas Treaty which has been in force since last January, former US Secretary of State John Kerry called for the adoption of measures to protect the oceans.
This was at the opening of the Commonwealth Ocean Ministers’ roundtable in Kenya.
« For the first time in history, 10% of the oceans are under protection this year. This is a fact worth highlighting. But only 3% benefit from high or total protection, and the rest of these protection measures are unfortunately just lines drawn on a map, » said John Kerry.
On Tuesday, African countries and those of the Commonwealth called for the swift implementation of this treaty, considered historic, concerning the protection of the high seas.
“For the very first time, we have a legal mechanism to create protected areas on the high seas, and I want to thank you all for that. The Commonwealth helped bring this project to fruition. Many of you in this room helped bring it to fruition and make it a reality; so my request is very simple: ratify it if you haven’t already done so and move immediately to its implementation. Because decisions will be made next January, following what we have adopted and agreed upon. Decisions will be made regarding the future of this treaty,” the former US Secretary of State said.
Kenyan Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho urged governments to move from promises to concrete actions.
Kenyan Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho urged governments to move from promises to concrete actions.
“We are meeting at a pivotal moment for ocean governance. Since 2014, the Our Ocean Conference has resulted in more than 2,900 commitments, totaling over US$169 billion. The goal of this roundtable is therefore not to reaffirm our ambitions, but to transform these commitments into measurable results for our communities, our economies, and our seas. It is about moving from words to action and making these commitments a reality,” emphasized Ali Hassan Joho, Kenya’s Minister of Mines and Blue Economy.
The Commonwealth represents 36% of the world’s oceanic jurisdiction and nearly half of its coral reefs.
source : Yahoo actualités
