My office works to unite Pacific countries and territories through strengthened coordination, collaboration and integration of cross-sectoral ocean issues, such as protecting biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and zone-based management. Recognizing that these partnerships must go beyond Governments, the Forum established the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner in 2014.Īs the Commissioner, my responsibilities include the provision of high level representation and advocacy to Pacific Ocean priorities decisions and processes. The Pacific Islands Forum sees a fundamental role for genuine, appropriate and durable partnerships for moving the ocean agenda forward. The renewed focus on ocean policy, brought about through the pursuit of SDG 14, gives us a chance to continue to build on these existing guidelines and policy commitments. 7 Both statements speak to the interconnections between the ocean and the lives of Pacific people, as well as our ongoing commitment to care for the ocean for our well-being. More recently, Forum Leaders issued the Palau Declaration on “The Ocean: Life and Future” (2014) 6 and the Pohnpei Ocean Statement: A Course to Sustainability (2016). 5 At its heart is a desire to build pride, leadership, learning and cooperation across the ocean environment. It also aspires to protect, manage and sustain the cultural and natural integrity of the ocean for present and future generations of the broader global community. It strengthens the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy, particularly through stronger provisions in the areas of coordination, resourcing and implementation. The Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape 4 catalyses regional action and initiatives covering an area of approximately 40 million square kilometres of ocean and island ecosystems. The Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy 2 promotes “sustainable development, management and conservation of marine and coastal resources in the Pacific region” through five guiding principles based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 1 Through the Forum, the Pacific region already has a collaborative and integrated ocean management system in place. In fact, the United Nations Law of the Sea was a point of discussion during the historic first meeting of the Forum in 1971. Not surprisingly, the Pacific Islands Forum, the premiere political grouping of Pacific island countries and territories, has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to managing our ocean.
It is vital that we actively participate in and support the innovations and insights that are emerging. In saying that, we recognize that our traditional knowledge can be complemented by the science and technology that offer new approaches to the sustainable management and conservation of our ocean, as we adapt to a rapidly changing environment. For generations we have observed and respected its mana, sharing what we have learned from our ancestors with our children. The Pacific Ocean is in us-it has long been a teacher for our people. We simply have no choice but to do better. Progress towards SDG 14 will be more challenging than achieving almost any of the other goals, given that 70 per cent of our planet’s surface is ocean and the ecosystems within them are fundamental to life itself. We must come together if we are to succeed as citizens, communities, governments and countries. We recognize that there must be transformational change in attitude and behaviour. This requires rethinking the way we sustainably manage our oceanic resources. SDG 14-dealing with "life below water"-gives us hope that the ocean can sustain and provide for us as it always has. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent an opportunity to address the urgent need to focus on the health, integrity and longevity of our world's oceans. But we also see that the ocean has an incredible ability to adapt and regenerate if it is given the chance. These have profound, damaging effects on our ocean and its ecosystems. The ocean has been a catalyst for regionalism.įor decades, we have seen overfishing, the increasing burden of pollution, a warming of water temperatures and rising sea levels. These tensions have often encouraged us to work together for the good of our people. It connects and separates us, it sustains us and, at the same time, can be a threat to our very existence. There are tensions inherent in these relationships. The Pacific Ocean is at the heart of our cultures and we depend on it for food, income, employment, transport and economic development.
We sometimes refer to ourselves as Big Ocean Stewardship States in recognition of this geography. Ninety-eight per cent of the area occupied by Pacific Island countries and territories is ocean. The health of our oceans is fundamental to the health of our planet.