VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) region is to become a zone of concrete application of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, following a unified position taken by member states at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3). Statements by heads of delegations and ongoing IOC programmes confirm a clear alignment with the priorities of UNOC-3, marking a significant step for regional ocean governance.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of the Comoros and current chair of the IOC, indicated that the IOC region will be a space of full application of the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), noting that his country, as a signatory, intends to proceed with its ratification by July 2025. The five IOC member states are all signatories of the treaty, which was at the heart of UNOC-3. Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina underlined the importance of regional cooperation through the IOC, particularly in fighting illegal fishing and developing the blue economy.
Mauritian Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam highlighted IOC contributions through projects ExPLOI and RECOS, focused respectively on plastic pollution and coastal community resilience, and stressed the need for greater investment in marine science. Seychelles’ Minister for Environment, Flavien Joubert, presented the country’s national marine spatial planning policy and chaired a high-level meeting of the Commission of African Island States on Climate on the margins of UNOC. Member states also advocated for the 30×30 target, namely the classification of 30 percent of national marine zones as marine protected areas within the next five years.
-
-
-
-
