GFDD Stresses that the Dominican Whale Watching Industry Has Major Economic and Community Benefits During Historic UN Ocean Conference

GFDD/FUNGLODE participated in the first UN Ocean Conference, which was convened from 5-9 June 2017 at UN Headquarters, in New York, US. The Conference which opened on Monday June 5, under the priority theme “high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”, held its last day of negotiations on Friday June 9,
when it approved a global agreement to reverse the decline of the ocean’s health, and more than 1,300 pledged actions for protecting the blue. “The bar has been raised on global consciousness and awareness of the problem in the oceans,” the President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson told the participants. Mr. Thomson, whose native Fiji co-sponsored the event along with Sweden, explained that their aim in organizing the conference "was to start
the reversal of the cycle.”

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations impressed upon participants the importance of the conference stating that “We are here today to protect the lifeblood of our planet”. He explained that “Oceans are a
massive resource for the sustainable development of our planet” and noted that we must “change the wheels of the 2030 Agenda” by building “strong political partnership and new partnerships”.

During the conference the delegation of the Dominican Republic stressed that the “dumping of plastic litter, and illegal fishing compel us to commit to protect our oceans”. The delegate explained that the country
had committed to protecting more than 30% of its coastal territory. He explained that there was a strong need for securing greater funding of the scientific effort to identify alternative biodegradable materials to plastic which has a strong carbon footprint and is a leading contributor to the pollution of our oceans.

The conference ended with the adoption of a 14-point Call for Action where the participating Heads of State and Government and senior representatives affirmed their "strong commitment to conserve and sustainably use our oceans, seas and marine resources tor sustainable development.” The main points from the political document and this week’s discussions
will be part of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the UN’s central body for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in September 2015, which will meet in July from 10 to 19 July, 2017.

6,000 people participated in the conference, making it the first time that the UN brought everyone together to discuss the challenges facing the world’s oceans. In addition to eight plenary meetings and seven partnership dialogues, The Ocean Conference included 150 side events, during which GFDD held a publication launch on the topic of whale watching in partnership with the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY and a multi-stakeholder panel discussion with UN Member State Ambassadors, UN Agency experts and policy experts. The conference also provided space for 41 exhibitions and interviews at the SDG Media
Zone.

Topics that were discussed throughout ranged from plastic pollution in the oceans and seas to ocean acidification, eco-tourism and illegal fishing – which tie in with topics of alleviating poverty, ending hunger, promoting health, ensuring access to water and sanitation, and so on.

During the final day of the plenary, GFDD’s UN Programs & Outreach Manager, Marc Jourdan, took the floor at the General Assembly to address
UN Member State Delegates and raise awareness of the role that the Dominican whale watching industry has played in supporting the conservation of marine mammals while assisting the economic development of local communities. Jourdan explained to participants that "within the Caribbean region whale watching is a billion-dollar industry, practiced in more than 87 different countries and territories worldwide, attracting over nine million participants per year". He noted that
the Dominican Republic stood as "one the pioneers of the whale watching industry" thanks in part to the "creation of the Silver Bank Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary in 1986".

Jourdan informed the audience that to unveil the connection and potential synergies between conservation, human well-being and economic development, GFDD was launching a research study titled “Resident Perceptions of Whale Watching in the Dominican
Republic” that sought to shed light on the social and environmental sustainability of whale watching. Noting that the study highlighted a general need for proper management of this industry to conserve the cetaceans that the industry relies on, Jourdan also reminded the audience of the need to educate members of the local community and ensuring the industry remains economically beneficial to them. He concluded by inviting delegates to join the Foundation at its launch event later
that day to help promote debate on the merits of the blue economy and support the implementation of SDG14 as it relates to the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources.

Statement:

A copy of the statement is available in English here.

The video recording of
GFDD’s submission at the UN General Assembly is available here.

About the UN Ocean Conference
The high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development was convened at United Nations Headquarters in New
York from 5 to 9 June 2017, coinciding with World Oceans Day, to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. The Governments of Fiji and Sweden had the co-hosting responsibilities of the Conference.

The Conference will:
Identify ways and means to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14;

Build on existing successful partnerships and stimulate innovative and concrete new partnerships to advance the
implementation of Goal 14;

Involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together Governments, the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and other actors to assess challenges and opportunities relating to, as well as actions taken towards, the implementation
of Goal 14;

Share the experiences gained at the national, regional and international levels in the implementation of Goal 14;

Contribute to the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing an input to the high-level political forum on sustainable development, in accordance with resolutions 67/290 of 9 July 2013, 70/1 of 25 September 2015 and 70/299 of 29 July 2016, on the implementation of Goal 14, including
on opportunities to strengthen progress in the future.

Related links:
https://oceanconference.un.org/about
https://oceanconference.un.org/sdg14