17 April 2024 | Blue Economy.
Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis
His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Heads of State
Heads of Government
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to your Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the people of Greece for your warm hospitality in welcoming us in the beautiful city of Athens.
Your Excellency, allow me to commend you on both the unique natural and cultural beauty of your country, as well as for hosting the 'Our Ocean Conference', which is indeed one of the key events on the global ocean calendar, that is not to be missed.
I, for one, cannot think of a better way to mark the ten year milestone of this annual conference, than to have it hosted in the Cultural Centre of one of the most renowned seafaring nations. For after all, life at sea, and near the sea is a culture that is not only to be celebrated, but also one that needs to be appropriately sustained and translated to the next generation – who I describe as our shareholders and successors of the 71% aquatic global heritage.
Hence, comes the dire need for this generation as well as the next, to be taught why and how we need to change our mindsets in regards to how we view and treat the ocean and all of earth’s aquatic resources.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is reassuring to take note of this year’s theme – 'An ocean of potential', and its six identified areas of action.
It is indeed good to see that the ocean has finally been collectively and overtly acknowledged as an avenue of prospects by the global community. I am sure that most of you here are aware that the blue economy has been recognized by the African Union as the continent’s development pathway. Seychelles, for one, has embraced this concept whole-heartedly in view of its congruence with our island traditions, values, and way of life. And, similarly to most, if not all of you present here today, the ocean has and continues to shape our lives. For let us not forget that due to globalization, true isolation has become illusory. After all, international trade, which is the cornerstone of our modern-day civilization and central to the supply chain of most industries and to the global economy, is almost single handedly powered by sea freight.
I urge everyone to see and accept the vulnerabilities of island states like Seychelles when marine commercial routes are disrupted as is currently happening in the Red Sea these days. The Mediterranean at one end and the Indian Ocean at the other are the two regions paying the consequences of war and madness.This causes much damage not only to our economies, but to the livelihood of our people as the cost of living keeps increasing.
Another scourge is marine litter that is transported by ocean currents again from one corner of the world to the next, even to seemingly isolated and pristine areas like our atoll of Aldabra, a UNESCO world heritage site where every single day we are reminded that our individual actions, irrespective of our geographical position, have far reaching, inevitable and dire consequences to our ocean and planet.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is crucial for us to acknowledge and continuously reiterate the message that ocean protection against all anthropogenic ills – ranging from irresponsible resource exploitation to marine pollution, truly concerns us all, regardless of whether we are landlocked, island, coastal, developed or developing states.
We cannot continue to take for granted earth’s aquatic resources, or to treat our unchartered oceanic space as a bottomless sink for our waste and expect to still thrive at the expense of others, because eventually we will all be affected.
Ladies and gentlemen, adaptability has been lauded as one of the most fundamental survival traits, and it is from this human characteristic that we should yield if we are to turn the tides on our decades of reckless actions. For us to do that, we need to know how to adapt and be willing to do so. In regards to the how, this is where the research comes in, both the scientific and the social, as we are after all dealing with real human beings, with lives and communities. Hence, the significance of the Ocean Decade Conference that just took place in Barcelona, as part and parcel of the global initiative to bridge not just our knowledge gap, but also the science/policy divide.
As for the willingness to adapt, all the incentives are there, and we just need to sensitize and educate our people about them. We need to change attitudes, get our people involved, put them at the centre of our strategies. We need to effectively communicate and explain to them why we need to do the things we do.
Indeed, changing the mindset takes time, but we need to start somewhere. We need to start with our youth, the beacons of hope who have a good track record with being agents of change. This is why I am proud to announce that Seychelles will be piloting a project this year that integrates ocean science in our school curriculum. Evidently, we have had known success in the past with the inculcation of environmental conservation values into our society through our school children. Now, it is high time that we strive to do the same with our ocean science values. And I call upon all of us here present to join us in this endeavour and to become catalysts for unparalleled action.
Moreover, I am proud to share that Seychelles has made headways with its Marine Spatial Plan and has achieved the 30 by 30 milestone ten years ahead of the set global deadline.
And last but not least, just recently last month, the National Assembly of Seychelles unanimously gave its stamp of approval to the ratification of the Biological Diversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty and necessary instruments have already been deposited placing us in the four countries to have done so. This signaled Seychelles as the first African country to ratify this very important treaty. I sincerely hope that others will be motivated to do so as well and will promptly join us.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we do not only need commitments and pledges but we also need to transform words into deeds.
Let this Our Ocean Conference be the nexus where Seychelles and the global community essentially converge to create, expand, and mobilize networks for the sustained health and sustainable use of our oceans.
Let this not be just another conference, but a watershed moment in our shared history—a moment when Seychelles and all like-minded nations, large or small, earnestly strive to protect our oceans with a vigor and determination that matches the scale of the challenges we face.
Let me end by going back to Greek mythology that cites Homer in the Iliad referring to Oceanus as the originator and Father of all things. Oceanus was the enormous river that encircled the entire world, giving life from its rushing flood to the sea, the springs and the smaller rivers.
May we all be committed to protecting Oceanus, our Ocean. Let our actions speak louder than our words and let us become the architects of a resilient and thriving blue future.
Thank you.
