Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene 2014 Sept - Oct Vol. 9 No.5 | Page 23

Ocean Laws

Pacific Islanders call for tougher UN ocean laws
Declaration from 16 states to be presented to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
during September climate summit
their lack of action.
Marshall Islands president Christopher Loeak was the
first to confirm attendance to the Ban Ki-moon summit
back in April.
The Declaration reinforces the particular threat that
climate change poses to the vulnerable nations, which
they say compounds other development concerns, such
as overfishing, urbanisation and fossil fuel dependency.
In the most recent UN climate science report, scientists
said that as oceans warm and the Arctic ice melts, the
ocean is rising, causing an existential threat to some of
Pic: IUCN the small island states, which lie only a few feet above sea
level.
By Sophie Yeo

T

he Pacific Islands say they will push for an agreement
on ocean conservation at UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon’s climate summit in September.
The Palau Declaration is
the product of four days
of discussions, which
wrap up today, between
Pacific Island states at
their annual Forum.
“As Leaders of the
Pacific Isla