UN Ocean Conference Side Event: A New Frontier in Marine Sciences and Innovation for Small Island Developing States
Your Excellency Dr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN, Chair of AOSIS, Honorable Sir Molwyn Joseph, KGCN, Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Chair of AOSIS, and leaders of the Small Island Developing States.
I like to refer to our ocean, which is the origin of all lifeforms on earth, as our “Mother Ocean”. Humanity has benefited greatly from her. And yet, for far too long, we have taken her existence for granted. Not only has she been underappreciated, for decades, she has been forced to deal with the environmental effects caused by the modernization of our economy. And now, our “Mother Ocean” is silently crying out for help.
Realizing the crisis early on, we, The Nippon Foundation started to take action more than thirty years ago. Capacity building, which is one of the main pillars of the AOSIS Declaration, has also been the center of our work. To this day, we continue to make effort in training and to develop a global network of more than 1,600 ocean professionals from 150 countries, that include individuals of small island nations.
And today, I am pleased to announce the launch of “Ocean Voices”. It is a culmination of a passionate proposal by our alumnus and the generous cooperation of the University of Edinburgh to build the capacity of young researchers from island countries and coastal communities. Until now, the voices of small island developing countries, that are seriously affected by the ocean crisis, have had little opportunity to be heard by the world. However, the tides are changing. Palau hosted Our Ocean Conference in April of this year and the global presence of SIDS is on the rise. Under these circumstances, in addition to Ocean Voices, we are planning to host the Global Island Summit in Tokyo in 2024 in order to identify the challenges they face and take necessary measures.
The Nippon Foundation will continue to work with the SIDS so that they may live in symbiosis with the ocean and increased prosperity. Let us think and act together to ensure that our “Mother Ocean,” which is not only a shared resource of humankind but also vital to our survival, is handed down to our future, a thousand years from now. Thank you.
*This video message is available at The Nippon Foundation YouTube.