The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati has stepped forward to lead an action group on sustainable coastal fisheries, as part of the Commonwealth Blue Charter. The action group will rally countries together to share knowledge and best practices, align actions on sustainable fisheries and mobilise funding to support their joint initiatives.
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Blue Charter ramps up momentum with new action group at COP25
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The Commonwealth is working to establish a fund to help member countries take practical action on ocean sustainability. Ministers leading Commonwealth Blue Charter action groups met in Oslo with marine experts, investors and philanthropists to discuss the shape of the proposed fund.
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Secretary-General: fast-track action on ocean health ‘before it is too late’
New funding from the Government of Canada will help protect marine health and promote good ocean governance, aligned with the Commonwealth Blue Charter’s action group on ocean observation.
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Canada gives $2.7 million boost for Commonwealth Blue Charter
The Commonwealth Secretary-General has emphasised the "immense urgency" of taking action to protect the world's oceans. Patricia Scotland joined representatives from the Commonwealth, United Nations, governments and other international organisations at the first meeting of Oceans Ambassadors, hosted by the Government of Malta.
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Secretary-General urges action on oceans at Malta meeting
Ten emerging scientists have been awarded fellowships at top Commonwealth universities to explore innovative ways to tackle plastic litter in the ocean
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Ten awarded Blue Charter fellowships to fight plastic pollution
The ‘Ask The Expert’ series features some of the leading specialists who work at the Commonwealth Secretariat. In this edition, Alache Fisho, Legal Adviser at the Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate, looks at how Commonwealth countries are making the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
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Ask the Expert: The road to clean energy - a look at how Commonwealth countries are making the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy
Commonwealth countries devoted to saving the world’s coral reefs met in Townsville, Australia this week to outline immediate and long-term actions they can take to ensure the health of coral reef ecosystems.
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Blue Charter group gears up to protect and restore ‘priceless’ coral reefs
A new illustrated book, co-published by the Commonwealth, seeks to educate children about seabed minerals and the impacts of their exploitation through deep sea mining.
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New book enlightens young readers on deep sea mining
Plans are being floated for the creation of a Commonwealth “model law” aimed at helping countries manage profits gained from their natural resources. On 24-25 June, senior officials from 17 member countries joined a two-day workshop on natural resource sovereign wealth funds (SWFs).
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Commonwealth explores model law for sovereign wealth funds
To mark World Oceans Day, Head of Oceans and Natural Resources Nicholas Hardman-Mountford shares how the Blue Charter can help spur lasting global change towards sustainable ocean governance.
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Blog: Commonwealth Blue Charter - A beacon of hope for the future of ocean governance
The first Commonwealth forum on sustainable energy opened yesterday in London with a call by the Deputy Secretary-General Arjoon Suddhoo for countries to act collectively on their “passion” to shift to clean energy, while tackling climate change
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Countries urged to act together on clean energy transition
Members of the Commonwealth action group on ocean observation gathered in Ottawa, Canada this week to launch a strategy to advance ocean observation opportunities. The meeting also tackled youth and gender issues in ocean science.
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Canada convenes kick-off meeting as Blue Charter champion on ocean observation
18 June 2019 to 21 June 2019
Event
This event will reflect on the work carried out by Blue Charter Action Groups over the past year within the context of wider ocean issues.
3 June 2019 to 4 June 2019
Event
The first ever pan-Commonwealth forum on sustainable energy will take place on 3-4 June, 2019 at Marlborough House in London
The blue economy is about more than making money from the ocean, says the Commonwealth’s Head of Oceans and Natural Resources.
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Sustainability must remain the heart of the blue economy: Commonwealth
The inaugural Blue Charter action group meeting on ocean acidification has brought us a step closer to finding solutions to the detrimental impacts of rising pH levels on ocean life, Commonwealth Head of Oceans and Natural Resources stated
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Blue Charter action group makes strides toward tackling ocean acidification
In March this year state-of-the-art submarines will descend to previously unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean on a pioneering research expedition.
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Extending frontiers of deep sea exploration will improve ocean governance, says Secretary-General
Commonwealth governments are set to benefit from a ground-breaking scientific research expedition into the unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean.
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Ground-breaking deep-sea exploration to boost good ocean governance
With global climate talks freshly concluded last weekend in Katowice, Poland, some Commonwealth countries are already working towards a stronger ocean focus at next year’s negotiations in Chile.
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Ocean focus expected in next round of climate talks
“Real experiences” are what drove some Commonwealth countries to take up the banner for the ocean, stepping forward to champion action groups of like-minded members working together to tackle some of the world’s most pressing ocean problems.
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Commonwealth ocean action gains traction at COP24
A new Commonwealth paper examines who should be held responsible if deep-sea mining in international waters causes environmental damage.
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New paper considers protection for damage caused by deep-sea mining
Efforts to protect the ocean have received a major boost with the announcement that Seychelles will lead a Commonwealth Blue Charter action group on marine protected areas.
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Seychelles Steps Forward as Commonwealth Champion for Marine Protection
2 December 2018 to 14 December 2018
Event
COP24 provides opportunities for the Commonwealth to advocate on behalf of our member countries, especially for the concerns of small and other vulnerable states who are most threatened by climate change.
Further support for the Commonwealth's vital initiative to protect the world's oceans, seas and lakes will be announced at a side event of the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on 27 November 2018
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New action on oceans to be revealed at Kenya conference
The Government of Seychelles in collaboration with the Commonwealth has launched the ‘Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap’ to build its ocean-based economy.
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Roadmap to boost Seychelles’ blue ocean economy