A very good afternoon
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
I bring greetings to you from the land of wood and water, Jamaica.
Let me express gratitude to the government and people of Kenya for the warm welcome. In particular His Excellency the Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya for his call to action delivered this morning as well as the governments of Canada, Japan and other sponsors that have contributed to staging of this conference.
Excellencies, this Conference represents a pivotal step towards the development of a road map to foster blue growth. Jamaica is pleased to affirm our commitment to this effort as we collaborate to achieve our shared objective.
Jamaica commits to remain active in the various regional and international fora on ocean and other aquatic-related matters and to ensure that the interests of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are represented. This includes the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, spearheaded by Norway.
Additionally, next year Jamaica celebrates its 25th anniversary as host country to the International Seabed Authority. In that regard, we remain fully dedicated to according the Authority the necessary support to fulfill its mandate.
We also participate actively in the negotiations on the conservation and sustainable use of marine Biological diversity of areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) as part of our effort to secure our common heritage.
As a demonstration of our commitment Jamaica has instituted a number of changes at the national level. Permit me to highlight just 3.
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- The Government of Jamaica has effected the Imposition of a ban on some plastics and polystyrene foam products as of January 2019. This represents a concrete step to reduce the negative impact of marine pollution on coastal communities and key economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries.
- Secondly, Jamaica has Implemented new Fisheries Legislation that will establish the institutional framework to ensure its sustainable growth. This includes ramping up measures to (a) enhance the management of no-take aquatic protected areas such as Fish Sanctuaries; (b) mandate participation of stakeholders in fisheries governance; and (c) effectively combat the scourge of IUU fishing. We are prioritizing the conservation and sustainable use of our blue economy resources.
- Thirdly, is the Implementation of a Public Awareness and Engagement programme for Ocean and other aquatic issues through the National Council on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management (NCOCZM), which I have the honour to chair. We are seeking to educate all Jamaicans on the value of the blue economy and increasing the participation of all stakeholders.
The Government of Jamaica looks forward to forging and deepening partnerships with other governments, academia, the private sector and civil society to ensure that present and future generations are prosperous and able to benefit from a sustainable blue economy.
The future is dependent on the decisions we make today. Let us be wise.
Thank you