World Ocean Summit 2023
Distinguished guests and participants.
I refer to the ocean as ‘Mother Ocean.” She is the source of all life on Earth and continues to support and provide living space for all living beings. Of course, we humankind are no exception. As you all know, we must renew our awareness, and I quote from the SDGs GOAL fourteen, that “Healthy oceans and seas are essential to human existence and life on Earth. “
But we do not realize enough the speed with which we have placed a heavy burden on the Mother Ocean. According to scientific data, oceans have covered the planet for about four point four billion years. But with the advent of modernization, in a very short period of time of only one hundred to one hundred and fifty years, human activities began to damage the Mother Ocean. While even the smallest marine living beings were already sensing the dangers ahead, we continued to pollute, over exploit and, develop the Mother Ocean without order to the extent that total recovery is said to be impossible. Time is now. We must raise our voices and take action and warn the entire global community that unless we put a stop to our irresponsible activities the survival of humankind is at stake. All the while the Mother Ocean has been screaming silently.
The Nippon Foundation has nurtured ocean professionals for decades to address this ocean crisis. Today over sixteen hundred fellows from one hundred and fifty countries, who have completed their fellowship programs, have built a global network cross-cutting multiple ocean sectors and stood up to confront the ocean crisis as a team.
Distinguished participants, there are close to two hundred countries in the world but there is only one ocean. There is no other time than now to show an united front in solidarity and cooperation overarching politics, ideology, religion, race, and national borders. Why? Because we have a heavy responsibility to pass on the healthy ocean, our common asset and indispensable to the survival of humanity to the future generations. Thank you very much.