Korea's Blue Action Plan: Key outcomes from the 10th Our Ocean Conference
IOL Korea's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-Hyung at the Our Oceans Conference in Busan. Picture: Jolene Marriah-Maharaj
Korea played host to the 10th Our Ocean Conference.
The three-day conference held at Bexco, in the beachside city of Busan, saw global leaders converge.
"Approximately 2,600 people were in attendance, including government officials, high-level international organizations, global NGOs, and companies from 100 countries.
From South Africa, Zoe Prinsloo from Save the Fishies in Cape Town, was in attendance.
The conference aimed to engage in dialogue for a sustainable ocean future, with the backdrop theme for this year being 'Our Ocean, Our Action."
The conference aimed to foster dialogue and cooperation for a sustainable ocean future.
As a country with an integrated maritime administration, Korea announced the Korea Blue Action Plan for Sustainable Oceans.
The country pledged approximately 70 maritime-related action pledges based on past experiences and achievements to the international community.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) under the leadership of Minister Kang Do-Hyung described the conference as successful.
The conference provided a platform to discuss opportunities to cooperate on global ocean challenges, and it resulted in the announcement of 277 commitments with a total value of USD 9.1 billion.
Four core commitments were identified for the Korea Blue Action Plan.
These are:
- Assuming an active role in global discussions on marine protected areas (MPAs);
-Participating in discourse on the transition to eco-friendly fuels for ocean freight and the establishment of a global green fuel supply chain.
-Recognizing the significance of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency for sustainable fisheries and implementing the Charter in phases
-Promoting a lifecycle management policy for fishing gear, a primary contributor to marine plastic pollution.
At the opening ceremony, it was stated that over the past decade, 478 organizations had made 2,618 voluntary pledges, representing approximately USD 161 billion in financial commitments.
Of these, 43%, or 1,130, have been implemented, and 38%, or 1,005, are ongoing.
"This indicates that about 81% of the pledges have been or are being realized, showcasing the OOC's commitment to driving tangible change.
"By pledge category, marine pollution had the highest number of items, with a total of 508. By dollar amount, USD 86.6 billion, 54% of the total, was committed to addressing climate change."
Two exceptional cases of achievement were also presented. Renz Nathaniel Luyao, a young Filipino, shared his experience organizing the country's first youth seminar on the BBNJ Agreement and promoting 'Gensea,' an online marine education and community platform. The PEW Foundation shared its accomplishments in designating 2 million km² of MPAs in over 30 regions worldwide, and called on countries to join in the MPA designation.
In the meantime, Kenya has been announced as the host of the 11th Our Ocean Conference.
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