Ávarp á World Seafood Congress - Heimsmarkmið 14
by H.E. Mr. Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland at the Side-Event on the New Momentum for the Oceans Sustainable Development Goal 14 on the Oceans
at the World Seafood Congress, 12 September 2017
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure for Iceland to host the World Seafood Congress. I hope you have found the Congress interesting and fruitful and that you are enjoying your stay.
I firmly believe that we have a New Momentum for the Oceans, especially provided by the Sustainable Development Goal 14 which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. This goal, along with its targets, is an integral part of the most comprehensive effort the global community has launched in order to safeguard the future of humankind, - namely Agenda 2030. I am determined to make Icelandic foreign policy an effective instrument in successfully reaching our goals.
One of the greatest challenge in our efforts is climate change. Recent news on extreme weather patterns in the Caribbean and in the United States is just one example of the disastrous consequences. It is therefore important to ensure, that fulfilling our commitments under the Paris Agreement are closely interwoven into our ocean policies. It is indeed a recognition of the significance of the oceans in the context of climate change that the Paris Agreement - highlights the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including oceans and the need to combat acidification and pollutants affecting the marine ecosystems. This is in line with Iceland’s interests in addressing the adverse effects of climate change which lie primarily in the impact they have on the sea and the marine ecosystem, worldwide.
I have emphasized that the sustainable conservation and use of natural resources, especially the living resources of the oceans, is one of the key focus of Iceland´s foreign policy. It is fundamental to maintain balance between sustainable utilisation and the protection of marine resources, based on the best available scientific knowledge. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the rights and responsibilities that it sets for coastal states, confirms this approach, including within the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf.
This approach was highlighted in my Annual Report to the Parliament last spring and then reiterated two weeks ago in the new comprehensive report on the future of the Foreign Service. The aim of the report is to increase the effectiveness of the foreign service even more, and even though this is not a policy document in itself it confirms a strong emphasis on natural resources and the Arctic Region - not least the Arctic Ocean, and the considerable environmental, economic and social changes taking place there.
To become more effective in this field it is recommended in the report that we should consult and harmonise representation and policy-making on a domestic level concerning global climate change, natural resources, Arctic affairs and matters relating to the sea, and for those affairs to be systemised more fully under the leadership of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Thereafter, the arrangements for participation in international work in these areas should be reviewed.
This also applies to Iceland´s participation in international organizations on ocean affairs, including regional cooperation, the World Bank, UNU and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As a part of Agenda 2030, the global community has committed itself to end hunger. The oceans, with their important living marine resources, are fundamental for the food security of millions, not least in the developing world. Without clean, healthy and productive oceans, this goal will be impossible to attain. Science-based sustainable harvesting of marine resources must become a universal practice and is key to our aims of fighting poverty and hunger, ensuring healthy lives and promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The international community gave a great boost to the new momentum for the oceans at the Conference on the Oceans in New York last June, resulting in a 14-point Call to Action and more than 1300 voluntary commitments to support SDG 14. Iceland made four main voluntary commitments:
Firstly, the adoption of fisheries management plans with long term precautionary Harvest Control Rules for commercially harvested fish stocks in Icelandic waters, based on the FAO Code of Conduct and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement.
Secondly, an ambitious 13-year project by the Marine Research Institute on the mapping of the ocean floor for conservation and sustainable use.
Thirdly, addressing acidification of the oceans in line with the Government´s new climate action plan, aimed at ensuring that Iceland can meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. Iceland contributes to the Green Climate Fund and has pledged 1 million USD over a five-year period.
Fourthly, a three-year plan with focus on the prevention of marine litter entering the ocean from land-based and sea-based sources. To this end we will work to enhance knowledge of microplastics and their effects on the marine environment and humans, and identify measures to reduce discharge to the marine environment.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Despite many recent achievements, there are enormous challenges ahead. Not least in the Arctic Region. Glaciers are retreating, sea-level is rising, and acidification of the ocean increasing, posing serious threat to the ecosystem and coastal communities.
We know that changes in the Arctic will have wide-ranging global consequences. Iceland is therefore increasing its focus on Arctic matters even more and Iceland´s upcoming Chairmanship of the Arctic Council 2019 – 2021 will feature the ocean high on the agenda.
This is underlined in the report on the future of the Foreign Service which calls for a strategy to be prepared on this issue, with the aim of increasing Iceland's visibility and importance in matters relating to climate change, Arctic affairs, and issues related to the sea.
The sustainable use of living marine resources and aquaculture plays a vital role for sustainable development. The potential economic benefits are high, and the importance of fish to employment, food security, nutrition and income is enormous. In Iceland´s international development cooperation, the sustainable use of natural resources, including fisheries, is a key focus area. We have supported the World Bank in this initiative as the World Bank is well placed to support transformative change in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in developing countries. Iceland has extensive knowledge and experience in this field and therefore we also find it important to work with the private sector. Furthermore, we are very proud to host the United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme, which has provided training to nearly 400 specialists from various countries.
Gender equality is a core objective in Iceland´s development policy. When looking at the seafood industry as a whole, women represent half of the total working population worldwide. Women are essential contributors to this important food supplying industry and therefore critical agents for change. At the same, time their role and work is often invisible and not fully acknowledged. They are poorly represented in decision making processes and leadership roles in the fisheries sector. Women's activities, paid and unpaid, include the full range along the value chain, as well as pre- and post-harvest activities. Women in small-scale fisheries also play key roles in managing finances at the household level and managing marine resources at the community level. It is hence vital that we address this issue in all our programming in the field of fisheries, and that we recognize women´s role throughout the value-chain.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Coming to the agenda of this Conference, I would like to use this opportunity to express my appreciation of the active engagement of FAO in the World Seafood Congress this week. Tomorrow we bring together, along with other partners, a High-level Meeting with Ministers and Directors for fisheries and maritime matters from Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as from some neighbouring countries. We look forward to interesting discussion on Promoting the Blue Economy and Exploiting Ocean Opportunities.
FAO has for many years been one of Iceland´s key partner in matters of the oceans. We are thankful for the leadership they have shown for example through its Blue Growth Initiative, Committee on Fisheries, FAO Port State Measures Agreement, Regional Fisheries Management Bodies and through other forums. Iceland has and will always be an active partner in this field.
The World Seafood Congress has provided us with an excellent forum for an exchange of view and to sharpen our focus. I will now leave you in the hands of this distinguished panel.
Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a constructive discussion.