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Global Oceans Action Summit for
Food Security and Blue Growth

22-25 April 2014 | The Hague, Netherlands

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Highlights for Thursday, 24 April 2014
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Sustainable Development Policy & Practice
Delegates to the Global Oceans Action Summit met today in two high-level roundtables and in working groups.

Sharon Dijksma, Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands, opened the high-level segment, calling for a concrete roadmap for ocean action.

Keynote addresses were held by Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, Elisabeth Aspaker, Minister of Fisheries, Norway, and Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates (UAE). John Kerry, US Secretary of State, addressed the meeting by video message.

Mitchell highlighted SIDS’ vulnerability to climate change, overfishing and ecosystem degradation. Aspaker underscored sustainable fisheries as critical for food security, poverty alleviation and social welfare. Bin Fahad pointed out that the marine environment faces serious challenges, which have economic as well as societal consequences and call for international cooperation. Kerry stressed the negative impacts of pollution, acidification and overfishing, calling for a new global ocean policy agenda and government policies ensuring that only legally caught fish can enter markets.

Lisa Svensson, Sweden's Ambassador for Oceans, Seas and Freshwater, summarized the highlights of Wednesday’s working group sessions on governance, financial mechanisms and partnerships.

Delegates then resumed their work in the working groups on governance, financing mechanisms and partnerships. The first group addressed transitioning to co-management of local fisheries, investigating bottom-up approaches. The second focused on banking on sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems, while the third concentrated on private-sector partnerships.

In addition, two high-level roundtables were held to discuss a working paper entitled “Pitches for action,” which summarized recommendations that had emanated from the Summit so far.

Minister Dijksma chaired the first roundtable. Delegates discussed, inter alia: a possible sustainable development goal (SDG) on oceans; perverse subsidies; aquaculture and its potential; and the necessity for a robust legislative framework to achieve implementation.

The second roundtable was co-chaired by Fred Boltz, Rockefeller Foundation, Roland Bhola, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, Grenada and Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister, Grenada. Delegates offered additional suggestions for the working document, such as improving inclusion and market access for artisanal and small-scale fishers; acknowledging coordination and monitoring; linking the UNFCCC process to blue growth; and taking a holistic approach to blue growth.
Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, addresses the plenary of the high-level segment.
Lisa Svensson, Ambassador for Oceans, Seas and Freshwater, Sweden, reported back on Wednesday's deliberations in the working groups.
Artistic and musical performances during the plenary of the high-level segment

View of the room during one of the high-level roundtables
Henry Tuakeu Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, described the management approach to marine areas used in the Cook Islands.
Flags outside the venue
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Funding for coverage of this Forum has been provided by the World Bank
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Related Links
Summit resources

*Summit website

*Provisional agenda

*Key objectives


IISD RS resources

*IISD RS coverage of the Seventh meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ), 1-4 April 2014, UN Headquarters, New York, United States of America

*IISD RS briefing note of the Sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ), 19-23 August 2013, UN Headquarters, New York, United States of America (English: HTML - PDF) (French: HTML - PDF)

*IISD RS coverage of the Twenty-third Session of the Governing Council of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT GC 23) - “Sustainable urban development through expanding equitable access to land and housing, basic services and infrastructure”, 11-15 April 2011, UN Office, Nairobi, Kenya

bulletIISD RS coverage of the Fourteenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea, 17-20 June 2013, UN Headquarters, New York, United States of America

*IISD RS coverage of the Thirtieth session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 9-13 July 2012, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy

*IISD RS coverage of the Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC) and Third Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Pollution (GPA), 23-24 and 25-26 January 2012, Manila, Philippines

*OCEANS-L - A mailing list for news and announcements related to oceans policy issues

*SDG - A mailing list for news on sustainable development policy

*Sustainable Development Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of International Activities Preparing for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development

*Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news
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