Today, Commonwealth nations adopted the Apia Declaration on the Commonwealth Ocean for a resilient shared future, urging the 56 member countries to protect and restore the ocean in the face of severe climate change, pollution, and the impacts of overexploitation.
The declaration, adopted during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, paves the way for vigorous, ambitious, innovative, and transformative action toward a common goal of shared prosperity, resilience, and sustainability for ocean resources, building on national and collective efforts to protect and sustainably utilize the ocean.
Key aspects of the declaration include:
- Recognition of National Maritime Boundaries in the context of sea-level rise.
- Protection of at least 30% of the oceans and restoration of at least 30% of degraded marine ecosystems by 2030.
- Urgent finalization of the Global Plastics Treaty.
- Ratification of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (known as the BBNJ Agreement).
- Development and implementation of coastal climate adaptation plans and strategies, including vulnerability assessments and nature-based solutions like blue carbon.
- Increased support for a sustainable blue economy with sustainable ocean plans, recognizing the need for 100% management of national waters.
- Reduction of global shipping emissions.
- Enhanced targets for marine renewable energy to meet the global climate goal of tripling renewable energy capacity, agreed upon at the UNFCCC Global Stocktake in Dubai last year.
The Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, praised the agreement, stating:
“It is fitting that our first declaration on oceans is adopted in the blue Pacific continent, as climate change is recognized as the greatest threat to the security and well-being of our peoples. The ocean represents 96% of our region, and we are among the first to suffer immediately from the effects of climate change.
“The Commonwealth Declaration on Oceans from Apia for a resilient shared future should serve as a guideline from which the world will collectively transform ocean exploitation into protection and sustainable management. We look forward to turning words into action!”
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Honorable Patricia Scotland KC, remarked:
“The incredible progress we have made with the Blue Charter underpinning this declaration helps member states tackle today’s climate challenges and seize tomorrow’s opportunities. I am confident that this declaration will have a profound and lasting impact on the well-being of our peoples, our oceans, and our planet.
“This document now sets the standard for upcoming international meetings, generating momentum for ocean protection ahead of COP29 in Azerbaijan in November and the United Nations Ocean Conference next year. We are extremely proud of this achievement and will leave no one behind in our advocacy for strengthened ocean protection.”
The Apia Declaration on the Commonwealth Oceans for a Resilient Shared Future is the culmination of many years of visionary and collective action. In 2018, Commonwealth leaders agreed to work together for a sustainable ocean by adopting the Commonwealth Blue Charter. Since then, 17 champion countries have led 10 action groups covering marine protection, sustainable blue economies, climate change, and ocean pollution. These action groups will now play a central role in implementing the declaration.
During the CHOGM in 2022 in Rwanda, governments called for a Commonwealth declaration on oceans. In April 2024, countries agreed on the priorities for the oceans declaration during the first-ever Commonwealth Oceans Ministers Meeting in Cyprus.
The Commonwealth represents one-third of the world’s population, and 49 of its 56 countries have coastlines. Notably, 25 Commonwealth countries are Small Island Developing States (SIDS), increasingly affected by climate change, rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and ocean acidification, which impact marine life, ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them.
Source: thecommonwealth
