APEC Initiative on Mainstreaming Ocean-related Issues

Transcription

1 2014/SOM1/SCE-COW/018 Agenda Item: 5.1(b) APEC Initiative on Mainstreaming Ocean-related Issues Purpose: Information Submitted by: APEC Secretariat Forum Doc. No.: 2013/CSOM/10 SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation - Committee of the Whole Meeting Ningbo, China 25 February 2014

2 1 APEC Initiative on Mainstreaming Ocean-related Issues The oceans provide us with abundant resources that support economic growth and food security. Sustainable use and science-based management are key to maintaining and protecting these valuable ecosystems. APEC Economies are connected by the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean in the world. It is natural that our endeavors in APEC should include significant ocean-related activities in various areas of cooperation. We have decided to promote the mainstreaming of ocean-related activities in APEC to advance our efforts in achieving sustainable and inclusive development in the Asia Pacific, and to reaffirm the commitment to seek a balance between growth and sustainability, development and protection of the environment. Given its nature as a cross cutting issue, with ties to food security, nutrition, and trade, this would involve cross fora collaboration. I. BACKGROUND The urgency for sustaining and preserving our oceans and their resources has been gaining new momentum. At the same time, an increasing number of economies are pursuing better and integrated ocean policies to further explore the benefits of ocean and marine resources. Maintaining ocean environmental sustainability complements efforts towards achieving sustainable economic growth. This could be characterized by optimizing social capital, minimizing waste through innovative development to support social welfare, food security, community resilience to natural disasters, economic growth and ecosystem sustainability. Sound ocean management involves a balance to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits for APEC Economies. APEC s work to promote sustainability of ocean and marine resources date back to the establishment of the Marine Resource Conservation Working Group (MRCWG) in 1990 and the Fisheries Working Group (FWG). To further enhance and better coordinate work on managing ocean issues, in 2011, the MRCWG and the FWG merged to form the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG). This merger cultivates synergy and efficiency between the stakeholders working on oceans and fisheries issues. In addition, the establishment of the APEC Marine Sustainable Development Center was approved at the joint MRCWG and FWG working group meeting in 2011, and economies approved the development of the related APEC Marine Sustainable Development Report at its 1 st annual APEC OFWG meeting in Kazan, Russia in May In 2012, a Blue Economy concept was introduced to the APEC fora by some economies who emphasized the need for APEC to take a holistic approach to address the elements involved in achieving sustainable management of oceans and marine resources. Many APEC economies have been engaged on the issue of the blue economy and have made efforts towards understanding it, as there is not yet an agreed upon definition or approach for blue economy activities amongst APEC economies. Beginning discussions within APEC on what blue economy means to APEC requires cross fora collaboration, communication and increased coordination among groups involved in oceanrelated issues, such as, but not limited to, OFWG, TPTWG, PPFS, TWG, SCSC and EWG. The mainstreaming of ocean issues initiative would seek to take forward APEC s work to advance sustainable management of ocean and its resources, as outlined in the joint statement of APEC Ocean-related Ministerial Meetings (AOMM), as well as the Food Security Ministerial Meeting (FSMM) in Kazan, The importance of ocean and marine resources preservation is also an integral part of sustainable growth under the APEC Growth Strategy in APEC Leaders have recognized the importance of mainstreaming ocean issues since Although there is an Ocean and Fisheries Working Group, it is clear that there are many issues related to oceans and fisheries that involve other, established working groups, and that further cross-apec dialogue is needed. At the Policy Dialogue on Mainstreaming Ocean-related Issues held during the SCE-COW meeting at SOM 1 in Jakarta, February 2013 there was broad support to mainstream ocean-related issues in APEC. This will not only support the attainment of sustainable growth, but also inclusive growth, the creation of job opportunities and increased income, particularly for vulnerable populations. II. APEC Vision and Work Plan

3 2 SCE agreed that a work plan for 2013 onwards would be essential to advance this initiative. APEC economies are encouraged to propose concrete activities, initiatives and capacity building projects for the work plan. The SCE indicated that the work plan will be developed through cross-fora coordination and will use the APEC Ocean Related Activities Mapping Exercise as a reference. Such collaboration should focus on important areas such as strengthening food security and aquaculture; promoting innovation science and technology; improving connectivity, for example through sustainable maritime transportation as well as port infrastructure and investment, ocean conservation, marine eco-tourism, developing new and renewable energy from the ocean and marine resources; sustainable trade in fisheries, and the ocean s role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The cooperation would be enhanced through promotion of sustainability of oceans and marine resources, and would balance economic development and environmental protection. To ensure a holistic approach, APEC would enhance partnerships with other international bodies, such as the Coral Triangle Initiatives on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI). Private sector involvement is also important to develop this initiative, and APEC would work closely with ABAC and other relevant industries or organizations. In this way we would avoid duplication of efforts, create synergies, and be able to better develop good practices and approaches that could be applied within the APEC region. Given the scale and scope of potential activities under this initiative, Indonesia proposes that subfora and working groups could prioritize initiatives to achieve deliverables that are properly phased. Some proposed areas of cooperation are described in the draft work plan (attached) that is categorized into 3 (three) issues related to ocean sustainability and management, as follows: 1. Strengthening Food Security and Food Safety APEC economies account for approximately half of the world's fish exports in terms of value. Six of the ten top fish exporting economies are from the APEC region. 1 APEC economies represent eight of the top ten fish producers in the world, and more than 60 percent of the world s capture fisheries. 2 The fisheries sector can generate major source of revenue to economies across the region, provides employment opportunities, and supplies a vital source of food. Aquaculture plays a large role in the economic benefits related to fish and fish products and even freshwater aquaculture can have significant impacts on ocean ecosystems, which can impact wild fish stocks. APEC economies are an important voice internationally on ocean-related issues, and collectively have a significant impact on the global sustainability of fisheries and on responsible practices. Given its socio-economic importance, the challenges to achieving sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture are abundant. We are facing numerous problems such as over exploitation, IUU fishing, ecosystem damaging practices, assuring the safety of aquaculture seafood, and depleted fisheries resources. In order to address these challenges and to achieve regional, long-term food security we should enhance and strengthen partnerships with the private sector, non-governmental organizations and multilateral organizations, and promote cross-fora cooperation focusing on, not limited to, i) combating IUU fishing and associated trade, ii) sustainable trade in fisheries, iii) empowering fishers in the fisheries sector, iv) promoting effective, science-based management of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and aquaculture, v) promoting investment in sustainable fisheries and agriculture practices, and vi) supporting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture through capacity building of small and medium enterprises in fisheries-related sectors. 2. Maintaining Healthy Oceans and Protecting the Marine Environment Maintaining healthy oceans is imperative: oceans generate a significant source of revenue to APEC economies; provide employment; and supply a vital source of animal protein to people in 1 FAO (2012) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012, p FAO (2012) Capture Production by Principal Producers in 2011, (ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/stat/summary/a1c.pdf

4 3 our region. Aside from unsustainable fishing practices and overfishing, pollution, land use and impacts of climate change (sea-level rise, increased sea surface temperature, intensified storm activities and ocean acidification) pose the largest threats to the ocean, including to the coral reefs ecosystem. Addressing these issues can have multiple benefits, including increased resiliency of coastal communities to natural disasters, increased tourism, and promotion of longterm, economically viable ocean-related ventures. Reducing the impacts of climate change through mitigation and adaptations activities, and preventing its significant adverse impacts, are fundamentally important for marine ecosystem conservation and its sustainability. Therefore, APEC can increase cooperation and partnership with other relevant international organizations and promote cross fora activities with focus on several areas of cooperation, such as: i) promoting implementation of Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) approaches, ii) cooperation to enhance connectivity of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) iii) developing joint programs for conservation of marine biodiversity, iv) combating marine pollution, v) raising awareness of relevant stakeholders on the impacts of climate change to ocean resources, and vi) marine data collection to increase understanding of marine environments and support informed decision making. 3. Connecting APEC Economies through the Ocean Enhancing physical and institutional connectivity in relation to the Pacific Ocean will enable the flow of free movement of goods, services, trade and investment in our region through promoting initiatives connecting ocean-related issues with economic growth. Physical infrastructure could include transport (seaports, shipping) and institutional connectivity could take the form of policies and regulations, such as effective border and customs procedure. The development of submarine cables serves as one of the most important infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive development of the Asia-Pacific region, and its deployment and maintenance is associated with a number of policy areas, including ICT and environmental policies. Therefore, increased cordination and cooperation within APEC to facilitate deployment and maintenance of submarine cables is pertinent to promote awareness of submarine cable resiliency as well as other submarine cable matters. To further connect the region, there are several areas of cooperation that could be enhanced, through: i) promoting sustainable transportation, ii) establishing port partnership and services, iii) promoting port infrastructure investment, iv) developing submarine cable cooperation to increase communication linkages through high-speed and cost effective broadband connectivity, v) developing marine-based energy, and vi) enhancing marine and coastal tourism cooperation, and expanding network that involve all relevant stakeholders to empower local communities. III. IMPLEMENTATION: COOPERATION AND PROGRESS REPORTING Indonesia proposes that relevant APEC subfora continue to implement existing ocean-related projects from their existing Work Plans. The effort of this proposed plan is intended foster communication and coordination on relevant topics across APEC; something that has been challenging to execute without a cross-sectoral plan. Indonesia proposes that APEC Senior Officials instruct relevant APEC subfora to advance this initiative, working with other relevant multilateral fora and the private sector and regularly consulting and coordinating with one another. Indonesia proposes that Senior Officials direct all relevant subfora to cooperate in producing a consolidated progress report on mainstreaming ocean-related issues, reporting annually to the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting starting from 2014 until 2018, with the option of extending the reporting period. Indonesia proposes that Senior Officials oversee APEC s internal coordination via the SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation through the establishment of a Steering Council. Senior Officials may also consider delegating the coordination of the overall Mainstreaming Oceanrelated Issues Initiative to a particular APEC sub-group or individual, in consultation with relevant working groups.

5 4 IV. DRAFT APEC WORK PLAN ON MAINSTREAMING OCEAN-RELATED INITIATIVES This draft work plan on mainstreaming ocean issues is a living document, and open for addition and adjustment over time. It is not intended to supplant the current work plans of any APEC group, but rather to act as a conduit between those groups' work plans and activities and to foster collaboration and cooperation on relevant issues. The work plan contains projects that have been endorsed by relevant fora. To generate momentum, the work plan will also include new projects nominated by economies. These new projects will be indicative of future work, and not considered APEC projects until they have been endorsed by relevant fora. Issues Areas of Cooperation Proposed Activities Cross fora collaboration Lead Economy Key Outcomes Areas of cooperation may include: combating IUU fishing and associated trade, sustainable trade in fisheries, empowering fishers in the fisheries sector, promoting effective, science-based management of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and aquaculture, promoting investment in sustainable fisheries and agriculture practices, and supporting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture through capacity building of SMEs in fisheries-related Strengthening food security and food safety sectors. Enhancing fishermen s empowerment through sustainable fishing practices Workshop on Fisheries and Their Contribution to Sustainable Development in APEC Economies: Small-Scale and Artisanal Fisheries to Support Food Security OFWG, PPFS Indonesia The project is aimed at increasing welfare small-scale fishers as well as better awareness in the implemention of ecosystem approach to fishing practices to ensure food security from the ocean and fisheries resources Promoting effective, sciencebased management of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and aquaculture Promoting effective, sciencebased management of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and aquaculture Establish dialogue with intergovernmental and scientific bodies and connect with fisheries experts across the APEC region to identify where PPFS and OFWG can add value to promoting effective management of marine ecosystems and fisheries and raise the profile of food security in these initiatives. Develop an APEC Fisheries Data Centre to overcome current lack of data on fisheries OFWG, PPFS Hong Kong China OFWG, PPFS Indonesia Improve fishery management systems by improving availability of data on

6 5 Issues Areas of Cooperation Proposed Activities Cross fora collaboration Maintaining Healthy Ocean and Protecting Marine Environment Connecting APEC Economies through the Ocean Lead Economy Key Outcomes fisheries Areas of cooperation may include: encouraging the implementation of Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) approaches, joint work for the conservation of marine biodiversity;advancing efforts to prevent and combat marine pollution; work to combat land-based pollution sources; initiatives to tackle climate change through research and technology, promoting awareness raising on the impacts of climate change on the ocean and its resources, including capacity to adapt to climate change. Advancing efforts to prevent and combat marine pollution. Improve enforcement of MARPOL 73/78 in APEC, by holding a threeday workshop to focus on: current state of the problem, international maritime law, motives for non-compliance, and: enforcement and prosecution methods. OFWG, SCCP, TPTWG United States Reduce widespread discharges of oil and other wastes into Asian Pacific waters while promoting sustainable economic development of oceanic and coastal resources that play a crucial role in climate change and food security. Areas of cooperation may include: Promotion of sustainable transportation to support supply chains; establishing APEC Port Partnership and Services Network to support maritime connectivity; promoting investment in port infrastructure; developing submarine cable cooperation to increase communication linkages through high-speed and cost effective broadband connectivity; developing marine-based energy; enhancing marine and coastal tourism cooperation Promoting investment in port infrastructure Developing submarine cable cooperation Use of emerging Green Port Technologies to improve the intermodal movement of cargo, and reduction of emissions from marine vessels. Project on Enhancing Supply Chain Connectivity: Submarine Telecommunications Cable Resilience in the Asia-Pacific Region (pending BMC final approval). The project envisages convening a 1 ½ day workshop in October 2013 to: TPTWG, OFWG, IEG, TPTWG, APSN TPTWG, TELWG, OFWG, CTI United States Australia Increase the installation of alternative maritime power, and reduce the use of diesel-fuelled cargo handling equipment An electronic Better Practice Guide that details key measures and considerations that governments can utilize and take into account, as appropriate, to

7 6 Issues Areas of Cooperation Proposed Activities Cross fora collaboration Identify and discuss barriers to submarine telecommunications cable connectivity through presentations and discussions from government and industry experts, Promote practical measures that governments can implement to enhance the resilience of submarine telecommunications cables, and Promote the benefits of member economies engaging and partnering with submarine telecommunications cable owners and operators. The project also seeks to develop an electronic Better Practice Guide that details key measures and considerations that governments can utilize and take into account, as appropriate, to increase the resilience of submarine telecommunications cables. Lead Economy Key Outcomes increase the resilience of submarine telecommunications cables. The outcomes from the workshop and the content of the participant questionnaires will be used to develop a first draft of this Guide.