Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge

Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge Rescuing an Ocean in Crisis Concept Paper The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge seeks to focus global attention, build new partnerships and generate the necessary commitments to address threats to the world’s largest natural resource – The Pacific Ocean - by 2020. IUCN Oceania Programme The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge The Pacific Ocean: Pacific islands support more rare, • is the largest single geographic feature on endangered and threatened species than Planet Earth; it represents about half the anywhere else on earth. global ocean space and covers approximately one third of the earth’s Up to 50 percent of the region’s total surface; biodiversity is now at risk and the threats • hosts a complex of ecosystems1 which continue to grow with climate change and give rise to a wealth of resources over-harvesting of resources, including the available for local and global consumption now accessible deep sea beds. and which must be sustainably managed; • is the engine room of the world’s climate, Rapidly declining tuna fish stocks and providing the largest interface between increasing pressure on coastal and marine the ocean surface layers, that stores a habitats are depleting the ocean, impacting large proportion of the incoming solar on Pacific island countries’ economies, the energy, and the atmosphere; livelihoods of people in the Pacific region, and • is “friend and foe” to millions who live in food security across the globe. Climate and around it. It feeds them, and is the change is threatening to exacerbate these source of many natural disasters. It threats, increasing the vulnerability of small influences the lives of hundreds of millions islands and their ecosystems. It has been around the globe through global impacts estimated, for example, that in the small of events. island developing countries of the Pacific, coral bleaching alone will reduce GDP by 40- The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge is an 50% by 2020. initiative to be launched in 2008, a decade 2 after the International Year of the Ocean, to The Pacific Islands Forum members, re-invigorate attention to the Pacific Ocean. It especially the island members, have is intended to generate over the coming stewardship over a vast part of the Pacific decade a process that will ensure the Pacific Ocean. Over the past decade the Forum has Ocean gets the ongoing attention it justly promoted the development of a Pacific deserves to preserve and sustainably utilise Regional Ocean Policy (2002) and an it, its ecosystems and the associated accompanying Action Plan (2004). resources. Thus the Pacific Ocean 2020 Regrettably, the Action Plan is yet to be Challenge is the response required to the call meaningfully implemented. to “Rescue an Ocean in Crisis”. Activities and discussions on Pacific Ocean issues have been divided into multiple The Vision international and regional fora that have split A Pacific Ocean that is healthy and bountiful, the ocean geographically or by thematic sustaining the livelihoods and cultures of the issues. Similarly, at the national level Pacific peoples and contributing significantly responsibility for ocean issues has generally to the health and economic vitality of the been split across several agencies. Short- world. term projects have generally not been able to succeed at the scale required to provide The Challenge 2 The Pacific Ocean hosts a significant The Pacific Islands Forum is an intergovernmental proportion of the world’s marine and organisation which aims to enhance cooperation between Pacific Island nations and represent their interests. The Forum terrestrial biodiversity. The ecosystems of the member states are: Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the 1 The use of the word “ecosystem” in the Pacific Ocean 2020 Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. New Caledonia Challenge is consistent with the Convention on Biological and French Polynesia have been associate member territories Diversity, which establishes an ecosystem-based approach to since 2006. include all physical, chemical and biological attributes together with living and non-living resources. sustainable solutions at the national level, nor term, collaborative and ongoing action for have they been able to address wider ocean them to be adequately resourced and issues. addressed. Securing new commitments, underpinned by a sustainable financing The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge seeks to mechanism is key. raise the resources and commitment required to develop and implement a long-term, Although the threat of climate change is comprehensive and cohesive strategy and formidable, with it also comes an increased action plan to curb the impacts on the Pacific awareness that is creating opportunities: Ocean ecosystems and the resulting negative opportunities for exciting strategies to build impacts on the Pacific Ocean region and the new partnerships, mobilise resources and globe. make a real impact on the declining health of this global natural asset. Effective actions must ensure ownership of the Challenge through: The Initiative • New partnerships with private The overarching actions will include enterprise at all levels, including • The preparation of a Scientific Statement Fortune 500 companies on the Pacific on the threats to the Pacific Ocean, in rim and extractive industries; particular, those that are being • Broad appeal to individuals, accelerated by climate change; consumers, and decision-makers in • The completion of a Pacific Ocean target countries; and Report; • Empowering stakeholders at all levels. • The development of a Pacific Ocean 2020 Strategy that is built through ownership These actions recognise the Pacific Ocean as and an integrated strategic approach a single ecosystem, comprised of many parts, across all stakeholders, and based upon that is a common resource for all parties and the recommendations of the Pacific a natural asset with huge global value. There Ocean Report and on a review of the is urgency now for all parties to work together Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy and to develop workable processes to help protect Action Plan as well as existing national and sustainably manage this common marine strategies; resource, whilst at the same time recognising • The establishment of a Pacific Ocean that stewardship of large parts of the Pacific Trust Fund; Ocean is vested nationally through the UN • The launch of a biennial Meeting process Convention on the Law of the Sea. which will ensure that ongoing attention is given to the Pacific Ocean that is built The Way Forward around ownership and an integrated The scope and dimensions of the crisis are strategic approach across all broadly understood and the implications of stakeholders. climate change upon the already struggling Pacific demand a cohesive strategy and 1. The Scientific Statement strong actions now. The Scientific Statement will be developed by scientists from 30+ nations in and around the At all levels, global, regional and national, Pacific, identifying key threats to the Pacific new commitments are required to re- Ocean that are being accelerated by climate invigorate and ensure effective action. Within change. The Statement will provide the the Pacific Island countries, many scientific basis with which to raise the call for communities have repeatedly and clearly urgent action. identified key dimensions of solutions to addressing the crisis. The solutions, largely, 2. The Pacific Ocean Report have not been adequately implemented. The report will review existing information to establish the foundations for a long-term The Pacific Ocean crisis is the result of long- Programme of work to support conservation term problems and threats and requires long- in the Pacific. The information is to be presented in a manner that is meaningful and 5. A Biennial High Level Summit useful to decision-makers, and will deliver a This summit provides an ongoing platform to compelling call to action. address environmental and development issues affecting the Pacific Ocean. 3. The Pacific Ocean 2020 Strategy Participants are to include government, The Report will be the basis for developing private sector, donor / development agencies the Pacific Ocean 2020 Strategy which will and civil society. The summit allows identify new actions and build on the participants to build high-level networks, raise significant, ongoing work that is essential to attention and commit to challenges. the future of the Pacific. The Strategy will comprise a Programme of work which will The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge could build strongly upon existing plans and become a flagship for implementation of strategies across the Pacific Ocean, including an Ocean strategy with Small Island the Pacific Islands Region Ocean Policy and Nations and rim countries in other oceans. Action Plan and other regional policies. The As such it will contribute to internationally Pan-Pacific component of the work will have agreed outcomes such as the global implications as it will reflect the positive Johannesburg Plan of Implementation impacts of a healthy Pacific Ocean to the from the World Summit on Sustainable globe versus the cost of inaction if we allow Development (2002) and the Mauritius the current over-harvesting of these Strategy for further implementation of the resources to continue. Barbados Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States (2005). The strategy and an action plan will

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