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Your Excellency Commonwealth
Secretary General,
Honourable Ministers and Heads
of Delegations,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to express my
warmest welcome and gratitude to all of you for attending this inaugural
Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting in Cyprus.
Cyprus expressed its
willingness and readiness to organise and host a Commonwealth Ministerial
Meeting for promoting a sustainable agenda for our seas and oceans, following
the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that took place in Kigali,
Rwanda in June 2022. The Heads of Governments recognised the need for the
conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources and
agreed to work on a declaration consistent with SDG14 and the COP26 Glasgow
Climate Pact. I would also recall that the inclusion of the specific
reference in the Kigali Communique was an initiative of the Republic of
Cyprus.
This is the very first
Commonwealth ministerial meeting devoted to the ocean. Under the theme “Our
resilient common ocean: from Cyprus to Samoa”, the COMM will establish a
shared Commonwealth voice on ocean issues, through a sharing of experiences
and progress to date in implementing international commitments and the
Commonwealth Blue Charter. Its primary aim is to establish the principles,
priorities and actions for the future Commonwealth Ocean Declaration and to
agree upon a roadmap and timeframe, which will pave the way for adoption of
the Declaration at Head of Governments Meeting in Samoa, in October this
year.
The ocean is the home of the
richest biodiversity on earth. It contributes to our food security and
supports our survival and prosperity through fishing, aquaculture, transport,
tourism and recreation.
Cyprus, being an island
maritime state, acknowledges that our seas and ocean are valuable resources
and an integral part of our economy, not to mention our identity. We firmly
believe that it is of crucial importance to intensify our efforts for
conserving the marine ecosystems and preserving marine life. It is time to
commit and act to reverse the biodiversity loss and prevent ecosystems
degradation from pollution, climate change and other human activities.
Cyprus recognises that the
ocean challenges are too big and cannot be tackled alone by any single
country. It was for this reason that Cyprus joined the Commonwealth Blue
Charter and chose to champion the Sustainable Aquaculture Action Group.
Taking another decisive step
forward, I am very excited to announce that after recent intensified efforts,
we are ready to establish a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence in Cyprus. A
relevant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed right afterwards,
between the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Shipping Deputy Ministry and the
Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, which will host the Centre.
The aim of the Centre of
Excellence is to strengthen governance for a sustainable blue economy and to
support the coordination and undertaking of research that will facilitate
towards a fair and sustainable approach to ocean protection and a
carbon-neutral blue economy, in the framework of meeting the targets of the
2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in relation to SDG 14 (life
below water).
Allow me at this point to
express my sincere gratitude to the Commonwealth Secretariat for their
cooperation and invaluable assistance in achieving this milestone.
Cyprus is already implementing
a national integrated Blue Growth strategy. The main objectives thereof have
to do with the responsible management of our waters, as well as of the
protection of the marine environment through the promotion of cross cutting
tools, such as the Maritime Spatial Planning, integrated Maritime
Surveillance and Knowledge of our seas. I am very glad to inform you that the
first National Maritime Spatial Plan was approved by the Council of Ministers
in December 2023.
The Plan supports and promotes
sustainable development at sea, applying an ecosystem approach and taking
into account economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects, as well as
promoting the coexistence of related activities and uses.
Through the Maritime Spatial
Plan, the Republic aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the
Blue economy sectors, as well as the protection, preservation and improvement
of the environment, including resilience to the effects of climate change.
As a leading maritime nation,
Cyprus feels responsible to accelerate the transition of shipping to a low
carbon and climate resilient industry.
We therefore strongly support
the IMO Strategy on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships, aiming
at achieving zero emissions in shipping by or close to 2050. We are also
extremely pleased that the IMO has designated the Mediterranean Sea as Sulphate
Oxides Emission Control Area (SECA), as from 1st January 2025. Cyprus
actively advocated in favour of this action.
Dear colleagues,
We are gathered today in the
beautiful island of Cyprus to share our experiences and our progress towards
national and international goals, but also to share our challenges and
drawbacks.
We strongly believe that
Commonwealth countries can work together to address the multiplicity of
crises facing our shared ocean. We can collaborate to shape the future of
ocean governance within the Commonwealth.
Seeing you all here today makes
me very confident that this inaugural Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting will
set the stage for an open and constructive dialogue that will pave the way
for the adoption of a meaningful and ambitious Commonwealth Ocean Declaration
in Samoa in October this year.
Thank you for your
attention.
(IA/GS)
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