CAMEROON-COMMONWEALTH and OCEANS

Inaugural Meeting of Commonwealth Ocean Ministers under the theme: “Our resilient common Ocean: from Cyprus to Samoa”

Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of External Relations and the National Port Authority represented Cameroon at this multilateral meeting on Ocean Management, which was held from 18 to 19 April 2024 in the Republic of Cyprus.

Opportunity for mutual sharing of experiences, progress and ambitions in ocean management and implementation of related international commitments for Commonwealth member countries connected to the Ocean.

More specifically, this Meeting, being the first of its kind, made it possible to consolidate a draft Declaration on the Commonwealth Oceans, with a view to adoption at the next Meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) scheduled for October 2024 in the Samoa Islands. The said Declaration must enshrine clear principles, priorities and actions, as recommended by the Communiqué of the last CHOGM held in 2022.

The first Day of this Meeting of Commonwealth Ocean Ministers had as a major articulation the Plenary Session with the Heads of Delegations, co-chaired by the Vice + Deputy Minister of Merchant Marine and the Permanent Secretary of the Directorate General for the Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Cyprus. The said session gave room for speeches followed by high-level exchanges on the Draft Declaration on the Oceans, as well as on the objectives related to the oceans of the upcoming CHOGM.

The second and last Day opened on Friday, April 19 with a side event: Round Table with Ministers on Scaling Access to Blue Finance, in action areas ranging from protection of coral reefs and mangroves, to managing ocean acidification and transitioning to sustainable blue economies.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the creation of a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence in Larnaca (Cyprus). The structure aims to strengthen governance for a sustainable blue economy, and support scientific research for the protection of the oceans. The project being under the leadership of the Republic of Cyprus, the MoU was signed between the Commonwealth represented by its Secretary General Hon. Patricia SCOTLAND, and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

The event ended with a series of round tables focusing in particular on the principles and priorities of ocean management.

We all know here how urgent our task is. We know that there cannot be a healthy planet without a healthy ocean, the Rit Hon. Patricia Scotland, told all the Delegations, recalling that the Commonwealth is above all a means of bringing people together for common causes of particular importance.
At the end of the 2 days meeting,
The news of a new Gender Equality toolkit for the ocean sector was equally launched
Patricia also had the pleasure of receiving a copy of the MINEPDED magazine dedicated to female figures who impact the environment sector in Cameroon, from Priscilla SONG Focal point Commonwealth, accompanied by the delegation.