Global Partnership Needed to Save Oceans, President Jokowi Says
President Jokowi opens the 2018 Our Ocean Conference (OOC) at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Badung, Bali, Monday (29/10). Photo by: Oji/Public Relations Division of Cabinet Secretariat.
Global partnership is important to save the oceans, according to President Joko Jokowi Widodo in his remarks at the opening of the 2018 Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Bali, Monday (29/10).
The President added that more than 90% of the total global trade volume is conducted through the oceans; more than 40% of the global trade value passes through the oceans and 61% of the worlds crude oil production is distributed through the oceans.
In addition, almost half the world’s populations, around 3.2 billion people, live within a radius of 100 km from the ocean, he said.
That was a brief illustration of the importance of our oceans to our lives and to the future of humankind, President Jokowi said.
Nevertheless, President Jokowi added crime rate in the ocean is also on the rise. For the record, approximately 26 million tons of fish worth US$ 10-23 billion every year are captured illegally and piracy, human trafficking, drug smuggling, slavery, and other kind of crimes are also committed in the oceans. There are also overlapping maritime claims that may pose a threat to stability if not resolved through negotiations based on international law.
We need a multi-stakeholder partnership. We need a global partnership, President Jokowi said, adding that the world needs a mental revolution to address the challenges facing the oceans and to manage the ocean in a sustainable manner.
President Jokowi also highlighted the very alarming condition of the oceans due to plastic waste, water pollution, damage to coral reefs, warming of seawater temperatures and rising sea levels. According to the President, various steps have been carried out by Indonesia in the past 4 years, including enhancing connectivity through sea tolls by strengthening naval forces and the construction of 477 seaports; mitigating sea pollution by setting a plastic waste reduction target of 70% by 2025; and successfully achieving a 20-million-hectare marine conservation area in 2018, two years faster than the 2020 target.
Therefore, to establish itself as a global maritime fulcrum, Indonesia is actively advancing maritime cooperation in ASEAN, IORA, South Pacific, the UN, and in various multilateral fora, the President said.
President Jokowi further said that Indonesia also aims to enhance maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. In this regard, together with ASEAN partners, Indonesia is currently developing the Indo-Pacific cooperation concept by reiterating the habit of dialog and cooperation, inclusivity, and respect to international laws.
The 2018 OOC is attended by 1,900 representatives from 70 countries, including several heads of state and ministers.
Also present during the event were Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.
Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Ersan Pamungkas
