PM Calls for Strengthening Governance of the Oceans

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller says it is critical that the governance of the oceans and environmental protection be strengthened as “a healthy seabed is necessary and especially important for island states such as ours in the Caribbean which depend on the quality of the natural environment and derive much of their economic growth from the use of natural resources.”

The Prime Minister made the call in an address Tuesday, July 22, to a special session marking the 20th anniversary of the International Seabed Authority, ISA, in Kingston.

Prime Minister Simpson Miller said Jamaica is proud to be part of the 20th commemorative anniversary of the ISA and especially given its role in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“The conclusion of the Convention in 1982 is one of the most significant accomplishments for the United Nations and the ISA is the first and only example of a United Nations institution with an explicit mandate covering the last global commons, the oceans and the seabed. This makes the ISA a radical establishment that is as vital today as it was 20 years ago,” the Prime Minister said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said much has been learnt over the past 20 years in the quest for a just and equitable regime for ocean governance and sustainable development of the oceans and seas, but the “next few years will be crucial for the Authority which must recognize the critical and important role it can play in supporting the development objectives of the region and other small island developing states, with the oceans being man’s final resource-laden frontier.”

In commending the Authority for its focus on environmental protection and conservation of the living non-renewable resources of the seabed, Mrs. Simpson Miller urged further investment in training and capacity building so the ISA can become a strong and united voice in the wider universe of the policy of the seas.