Illustrative image (Source: Courtesy of Our Ocean Conference 2018) Jakarta (VNA) – The fifth Our Ocean Conference (OOC) opened in Baliof Indonesia on October 29, gathering seven heads of states, 36 ministers, andmany delegates from nations around the world.
Addressing the event, Indonesian President Joko Widodo reminded participantsthat waters across the globe continued to face threats from illegal fishing,marine debris and climate change.
He called for global action to protect the ocean, as “there isno single country that can work alone in addressing the challenges we all face”.
During the two-day event, themed “Our Ocean, Our Legacy”,delegates are expected to discuss issues related to risks and challenges facingthe ocean such as illegal fishing, wastewater drainage polluting theenvironment, and uncontrolled pirate activities.
It is the first time for an Asian country to host the annualglobal conference since it was first held in 2014 in Washington DC, the UnitedStates. Since 2014, Our Ocean Conference has successfully generated commitmentstotaling around 18 billion USD and 12.4 million square kilometers of marineprotected areas.-VNA
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