Latest content: Commonwealth Blue Charter

The Ocean Project Seychelles is leading a research project to investigate whether rivers on Mahé, the largest island in Seychelles, are a source of plastic pollution and marine litter.

Op-ed by Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey

This case study highlights how Nigeria employed a multi-disciplinary approach to comprehensively analyse and understand the value of restoring mangroves across 10 local communities, and the potential to apply this approach in other countries.

Photo credit: Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP)

The Government of Mauritius, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office recently joined forces to develop a strategic partnership framework for implementing the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement that became international law earlier this year.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation today announced a new partnership to accelerate ocean conservation for Commonwealth countries in Asia and the Pacific.

This case study highlights how Barbados tackled plastic pollution through three key factors: embracing comprehensive policies to reduce plastic pollution, empowering youth through education, and developing a model that can be replicated by other Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Blog by Henrietta Wolstenholme, Project Support Officer; Dr Jane Collins, Ocean Governance Adviser; and Shevon Campbell-Roberts, Climate Research and Policy Officer, Climate Change and Ocean Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat

With trillions of pieces of plastic littering oceans, threatening ocean and life and economic opportunity, drones, satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) are informing countries about how to tackle this growing global emergency. A recent Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance webinar focused on these innovative technologies for monitoring and reducing marine pollution.

Blog by Dr Jane Collins and Alison Swaddling, Advisers Ocean Governance, Commonwealth Secretariat

Every year up to 23 million tonnes of plastics enter water ecosystems, posing serious human and environmental health threats. As negotiations for a legally binding global plastics treaty accelerate, the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance brought together officials from members countries to prepare for these critical negotiations.

By Dr Rahanna Juman, Deputy Director: Research, Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago, and co-Champion of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Mangrove Ecosystem and Livelihood Action Group

Blog by Dr Daniel Wilde, Head of Oceans, and Dr Jane Collins, Ocean Governance Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth is playing a vital role in advancing the ratification and implementation of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), adopted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2023, and now coming into focus as countries gather this week in Nice, France, for the UN Ocean Conference.

Blog by Mxolisi Sibanda, Interim Head of Climate Change, Commonwealth Secretariat

Commonwealth High Commissioners and other member country representatives recently met at Marlborough House for a briefing on the implementation of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, adopted in Samoa at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The briefing provided member countries with a vision for the Commonwealth at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, to be held in June.

The International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MPEC) is convening this week in London to try to negotiate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the global shipping industry. The discussions are expected to have major implications for global trade, climate action and economic resilience, with almost all of the 56 Commonwealth countries likely to be affected.

By Dr Brandon J Bethel, Small Island Sustainability, University of The Bahamas; Ernest Ohandja Nomo, MSc. Teaching Assistant and Research Officer, Association of Professionals in Coastal and Aquatics Management (APCAM), Cameroon; and Dr Nokubonga Mbandzi-Phorego, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

There are estimates that over three billion people depend on the ocean for their lives and livelihood. In the Commonwealth, 49 of the 56 member states have an ocean border and so it is no surprise that at the Commonwealth Secretariat there is a sustained focus on ensuring there is a healthy ocean.

With over 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean annually, the cost of inaction is untenable. Commonwealth stakeholders are now better equipped to advocate for a bold and inclusive pathway that reflects the priorities of its members and builds momentum towards sustainable, circular economies.

The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, which was agreed at last month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, paves the way for accelerated climate action to help save our planet, say Commonwealth Island leaders.