Latest content: Oceans and natural resources

Ten emerging scientists have been awarded fellowships at top Commonwealth universities to explore innovative ways to tackle plastic litter in the ocean

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

The blue economy is about more than making money from the ocean, says the Commonwealth’s Head of Oceans and Natural Resources.

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

In March this year state-of-the-art submarines will descend to previously unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean on a pioneering research expedition.

Commonwealth governments are set to benefit from a ground-breaking scientific research expedition into the unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean.

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.

“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.

A new Commonwealth paper examines who should be held responsible if deep-sea mining in international waters causes environmental damage.

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.

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

The Government of Seychelles in collaboration with the Commonwealth has launched the ‘Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap’ to build its ocean-based economy.

Protecting the ocean today is the best way of ensuring prosperity for future generations, says Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. Her remarks came at a session on the Commonwealth Blue Charter on sustainable ocean governance, held on the margins of the 49th Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, which ran from 3 to 6 September 2018

The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is in Nauru to meet leaders and other partners this week at the 49th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting.

Cradled in the South Pacific, my home country Vanuatu is made mostly of ocean.  The Pacific covers 98% of the national jurisdiction. Here, some 280,000 Ni-Vanuatu like myself live simply off the land and sea.  We view the ocean as a living ‘bridge’ that connects islands and continents while sustaining life in all its forms.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has met the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, during her first official visit to the country.