Nigeria, ECOWAS seek international community intervention on biodiversity, climate
In other to profound solution to biodiversity and climate crisis that is gripping the planet, Nigeria and ECOWAS member nations call on the international community to be ambitious in its response.
Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this known during the ECOWAS Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Coordination Meeting in Abuja.
He said the oceans are under threat, more than ever before with sea level rise, temperature increases, acidification, pollution, biodiversity loss, unsustainable exploitation of marine resources, depletion of fish stocks, the near disappearance of coral reefs, and the destruction of fragile ecosystems.
“The appeal for an Ambitious Global Response to the Biodiversity Crisis is urgent and focused. Through the urgent appeal, we had identified several measures as essential, including the global designation of 30% of land and oceans areas as protected by 2030, the conclusion of a robust new high-seas treaty, the establishment of highly and fully protected areas covering 30% of the global ocean which prohibit environmentally damaging activities, and a global commitment towards immediately halting human-induced extinction of wild species, among others.
According to him, only 7% of the world’s oceans are protected, and there are no comprehensive legal mechanisms in place to protect the high seas and the deep seabed areas, the shared international areas of oceans that lie beyond national jurisdictions and that include almost 70% of the global ocean.
“We are proud that through Nigeria’s rallying efforts, the 55 member States of the African Union have reached a consensus to support ratifying at the earliest feasible date, the new the high-seas treaty, as enshrined in Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the 19th ordinary session of Africa Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). 3 months since the 19th AMCEN, we should move from saying earliest feasible date to a more specific period for Africa to ratify the BBNJ treaty. ECOWAS can lead the way in this direction.
He however, states that meeting provides a pathway to support ECOWAS countries in reaching this important goal. Prompt ratification of the high-seas treaty and effective engagement in its implementation is an urgent priority for the preservation of our oceans.
“We have a shared responsibility to act and protect the oceans because we all share in the benefits provided by our oceans and because we all share in the harm that comes when degraded coastal and marine ecosystems threaten the physical, economic, food security of local communities, and multinational businesses,” he stressed.
Dr. Salako noted that failing to protect our oceans would be catastrophic. If we fail to act, the impacts for people will be profound.
The urgent need to address this threat has led Nigeria and its sister ECOWAS member Nations to unite and call on the international community to be more ambitious in its response.
He added that the oceans require strong protection that can only be achieved through a new treaty for the conservation and management of marine life in the high seas. This treaty must ensure that human activities are managed to prevent significant adverse impacts, with vigorous oversight mechanisms and provisions to establish fully and highly protected MPAs in the high seas.
