Ocean Governance still an issue: Pacific Ocean Commissioner

BY BEN BILUA

Pacific Oceans Commissioner Dame Meg Taylor

THE Commissioner of Pacific Ocean says Regional Ocean Governance is still an issue though mechanism are put in place for pacific island leaders for better management of ocean territories.

Pacific Oceans Commissioner Dame Meg Taylor stressed that strategic divergence and institutional fragmentation in dealing with regional issues, a lack of durable and sustainable partnerships to facilitate implementation and up-scaling, and an inadequate scientific and technical evidence-base and limited capacity to use this for optimal decision making are some of the challenges.

She highlights that there is a need for the region to strengthen and further harmonise its ocean governance mandates for sustainable ocean development, as well as for more incisive ownership by member countries of the Pacific.

Dame Taylor said coordinating the regional approach to ensure integrated ocean management is a major task, but necessary to ensure cost-effectiveness and dissemination of good practise.

She emphasised CROP agencies and other partners in the region to harmonise, mobilise and strategies in an increasingly more integrated and coherent manner moving forward.

She said the establishment of The Blue Pacific aims to rejuvenate ocean governance in light of these contemporary pressures and to move away from some weak areas of implementation of the past.

She said regional instruments and initiatives have advanced implementation of a world-leading, shared approaches to ocean management with a focus on coordination, collaboration and integration – the ideals of which are embedded in the Framework for Pacific Oceanscape.

“In summary – we have the instruments, we have the institutions, now we have to put the effort into innovative implementation that requires resources and genuine partnerships.

In meantime she said detailed efforts aimed at strengthening and coordinating regional positions in a manner that advances and promotes collective priorities under mandate were achieved.

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