Stakeholders Advocate for Enacting Treaty Safeguarding Ocean and More

Dr. Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Environment, emphasized the perilous state of the world’s ocean and underscored the urgency to address the imminent threats. He stressed the need for a resolute global response to tackle the biodiversity crisis and outlined essential measures, including the worldwide allocation of 30% of land and ocean areas as protected zones by 2030, the development of a robust new high-seas treaty, the establishment of fully protected areas covering 30% of the global ocean to prohibit environmentally harmful activities, and a global commitment to promptly halt human-induced extinction of wild species.

Salako highlighted that only seven percent of the world’s oceans are presently safeguarded, and there is a lack of comprehensive legal frameworks to shield the high seas and the deep seabed areas, which are international zones beyond national jurisdictions encompassing nearly 70% of the global ocean.

He stressed the crucial need for a new treaty to conserve and manage marine life in the high seas and ensure rigorous oversight mechanisms to prevent significant adverse impacts from human activities. Salako emphasized the urgent prioritization of ratifying the high-seas treaty and actively participating in its implementation for the preservation of the oceans.

Moussa Leko, the Director of the Environment Department at ECOWAS, underscored the instrumental role played by ECOWAS countries in attaining positive outcomes from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings. He affirmed the collective resolve to continue advocating for a robust global response to the biodiversity crisis, emphasizing the crucial need to take proactive measures to safeguard biodiversity, preserve ecosystem services essential for human well-being, and secure the livelihoods of local communities.