Kigali, Jun 21 (IANS): Small island nations are calling for strengthened global support for ocean and climate change action, just days before Commonwealth leaders convene here in the Rwandan capital to decide on the group's priorities for the next two years.
In sessions later this week, heads of government are expected to discuss issues such as shared climate ambitions, financing climate and ocean action, and rebuilding sustainable green and blue economies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, among other key items on the agenda.
During a breakfast meeting co-hosted on Tuesday by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Fiji government in the margins of the summit, High Commissioner Jitoko Tikolevu addressed an audience of mainly envoys from fellow island nations, from Tuvalu to Cyprus to The Bahamas.
"The ocean and climate are inextricably inter-connected and the health of our oceans dictates the livelihoods of millions of people around the world, from the Pacific to the Atlantic...The challenges facing our oceans and its resources are diverse and complex and yet our answer is simple, we need action!" he said.
Tikolevu added that the ocean's function both as a "carbon sink" and a source for nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, warrants more acknowledgement in climate negotiations, which focus mainly on reducing carbon emissions.
His remarks were followed by a roundtable discussion with representatives from the Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean nations about actions being taken to address ocean and climate change issues, and how the Commonwealth can support them.
The Commonwealth Secretariat's Head of Oceans and Natural Resources, Nicholas Hardman-Mountford, said: "The harsh reality of climate change is that it affects all sectors of society, and all realms of the planet, including the ocean. The climate crisis is also an ocean crisis.
"Action Groups under the Commonwealth's flagship ocean programme, the Blue Charter, are each responding to climate change under their respective themes."
The Commonwealth Blue Charter is a historic commitment by 54 countries to work together to find solutions for global ocean challenges.
Since its endorsement at the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, at least 16 countries have stepped forward to champion 10 thematic Action Groups, comprising like-minded members willing to share knowledge and align strategies to tackle issues such as marine plastic pollution, unsustainable coastal fisheries and disappearing coral reefs.
The Action Group on Ocean and Climate Change is championed by Fiji.
This week's discussion at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will lead into next week's United Nations Oceans Conference, scheduled for June 27 June to July 1 in Lisbon.
They also take place less than six months ahead of the world's most important climate summit of the year, the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt this November.