Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge - Rescuing an Ocean in Crisis Concept Paper - IUCN
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Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge
Rescuing an Ocean in Crisis
Concept Paper
The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge seeks to focus global attention, build new
partnerships and generate the necessary commitments to address threats to the
world’s largest natural resource – The Pacific Ocean - by 2020.
IUCN Oceania ProgrammeThe Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge
The Pacific Ocean: Pacific islands support more rare,
• is the largest single geographic feature on endangered and threatened species than
Planet Earth; it represents about half the anywhere else on earth.
global ocean space and covers
approximately one third of the earth’s Up to 50 percent of the region’s total
surface; biodiversity is now at risk and the threats
• hosts a complex of ecosystems 1 which continue to grow with climate change and
give rise to a wealth of resources over-harvesting of resources, including the
available for local and global consumption now accessible deep sea beds.
and which must be sustainably managed;
• is the engine room of the world’s climate, Rapidly declining tuna fish stocks and
providing the largest interface between increasing pressure on coastal and marine
the ocean surface layers, that stores a habitats are depleting the ocean, impacting
large proportion of the incoming solar on Pacific island countries’ economies, the
energy, and the atmosphere; livelihoods of people in the Pacific region, and
• is “friend and foe” to millions who live in food security across the globe. Climate
and around it. It feeds them, and is the change is threatening to exacerbate these
source of many natural disasters. It threats, increasing the vulnerability of small
influences the lives of hundreds of millions islands and their ecosystems. It has been
around the globe through global impacts estimated, for example, that in the small
of events. island developing countries of the Pacific,
coral bleaching alone will reduce GDP by 40-
The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge is an 50% by 2020.
initiative to be launched in 2008, a decade
after the International Year of the Ocean, to The Pacific Islands Forum 2 members,
re-invigorate attention to the Pacific Ocean. It especially the island members, have
is intended to generate over the coming stewardship over a vast part of the Pacific
decade a process that will ensure the Pacific Ocean. Over the past decade the Forum has
Ocean gets the ongoing attention it justly promoted the development of a Pacific
deserves to preserve and sustainably utilise Regional Ocean Policy (2002) and an
it, its ecosystems and the associated accompanying Action Plan (2004).
resources. Thus the Pacific Ocean 2020 Regrettably, the Action Plan is yet to be
Challenge is the response required to the call meaningfully implemented.
to “Rescue an Ocean in Crisis”.
Activities and discussions on Pacific Ocean
issues have been divided into multiple
The Vision international and regional fora that have split
A Pacific Ocean that is healthy and bountiful, the ocean geographically or by thematic
sustaining the livelihoods and cultures of the issues. Similarly, at the national level
Pacific peoples and contributing significantly responsibility for ocean issues has generally
to the health and economic vitality of the been split across several agencies. Short-
world. term projects have generally not been able to
succeed at the scale required to provide
The Challenge
2
The Pacific Ocean hosts a significant The Pacific Islands Forum is an intergovernmental
proportion of the world’s marine and organisation which aims to enhance cooperation between
Pacific Island nations and represent their interests. The Forum
terrestrial biodiversity. The ecosystems of the member states are: Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated
States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru,
1
New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the
The use of the word “ecosystem” in the Pacific Ocean 2020 Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. New Caledonia
Challenge is consistent with the Convention on Biological and French Polynesia have been associate member territories
Diversity, which establishes an ecosystem-based approach to since 2006.
include all physical, chemical and biological attributes together
with living and non-living resources.sustainable solutions at the national level, nor term, collaborative and ongoing action for
have they been able to address wider ocean them to be adequately resourced and
issues. addressed. Securing new commitments,
underpinned by a sustainable financing
The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge seeks to mechanism is key.
raise the resources and commitment required
to develop and implement a long-term, Although the threat of climate change is
comprehensive and cohesive strategy and formidable, with it also comes an increased
action plan to curb the impacts on the Pacific awareness that is creating opportunities:
Ocean ecosystems and the resulting negative opportunities for exciting strategies to build
impacts on the Pacific Ocean region and the new partnerships, mobilise resources and
globe. make a real impact on the declining health of
this global natural asset.
Effective actions must ensure ownership of
the Challenge through: The Initiative
• New partnerships with private The overarching actions will include
enterprise at all levels, including • The preparation of a Scientific Statement
Fortune 500 companies on the Pacific on the threats to the Pacific Ocean, in
rim and extractive industries; particular, those that are being
• Broad appeal to individuals, accelerated by climate change;
consumers, and decision-makers in • The completion of a Pacific Ocean
target countries; and Report;
• Empowering stakeholders at all levels. • The development of a Pacific Ocean 2020
Strategy that is built through ownership
These actions recognise the Pacific Ocean as and an integrated strategic approach
a single ecosystem, comprised of many parts, across all stakeholders, and based upon
that is a common resource for all parties and the recommendations of the Pacific
a natural asset with huge global value. There Ocean Report and on a review of the
is urgency now for all parties to work together Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy and
to develop workable processes to help protect Action Plan as well as existing national
and sustainably manage this common marine strategies;
resource, whilst at the same time recognising • The establishment of a Pacific Ocean
that stewardship of large parts of the Pacific Trust Fund;
Ocean is vested nationally through the UN • The launch of a biennial Meeting process
Convention on the Law of the Sea. which will ensure that ongoing attention is
given to the Pacific Ocean that is built
The Way Forward around ownership and an integrated
The scope and dimensions of the crisis are strategic approach across all
broadly understood and the implications of stakeholders.
climate change upon the already struggling
Pacific demand a cohesive strategy and 1. The Scientific Statement
strong actions now. The Scientific Statement will be developed by
scientists from 30+ nations in and around the
At all levels, global, regional and national, Pacific, identifying key threats to the Pacific
new commitments are required to re- Ocean that are being accelerated by climate
invigorate and ensure effective action. Within change. The Statement will provide the
the Pacific Island countries, many scientific basis with which to raise the call for
communities have repeatedly and clearly urgent action.
identified key dimensions of solutions to
addressing the crisis. The solutions, largely, 2. The Pacific Ocean Report
have not been adequately implemented. The report will review existing information to
establish the foundations for a long-term
The Pacific Ocean crisis is the result of long- Programme of work to support conservation
term problems and threats and requires long- in the Pacific. The information is to bepresented in a manner that is meaningful and 5. A Biennial High Level Summit
useful to decision-makers, and will deliver a This summit provides an ongoing platform to
compelling call to action. address environmental and development
issues affecting the Pacific Ocean.
3. The Pacific Ocean 2020 Strategy Participants are to include government,
The Report will be the basis for developing private sector, donor / development agencies
the Pacific Ocean 2020 Strategy which will and civil society. The summit allows
identify new actions and build on the participants to build high-level networks, raise
significant, ongoing work that is essential to attention and commit to challenges.
the future of the Pacific. The Strategy will
comprise a Programme of work which will The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge could
build strongly upon existing plans and become a flagship for implementation of
strategies across the Pacific Ocean, including an Ocean strategy with Small Island
the Pacific Islands Region Ocean Policy and Nations and rim countries in other oceans.
Action Plan and other regional policies. The As such it will contribute to internationally
Pan-Pacific component of the work will have agreed outcomes such as the
global implications as it will reflect the positive Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
impacts of a healthy Pacific Ocean to the from the World Summit on Sustainable
globe versus the cost of inaction if we allow Development (2002) and the Mauritius
the current over-harvesting of these Strategy for further implementation of the
resources to continue. Barbados Programme of Action for Small
Island Developing States (2005).
The strategy and an action plan will develop
broad recovery targets that will halt and
reverse the environmental decline and What Next?
identifies activities that will enable these Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge Partners
targets to be achieved. The Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge will be
facilitated by IUCN Oceania and key partners,
4. A Pacific Ocean Trust Fund working together with regional organisations,
Effective implementation of the Pacific Ocean government decision-makers, the private
2020 Strategy requires a sustainable sector and non-government organisations
financing mechanism. with a stake in the Pacific Ocean.
Interest generated from the Trust Fund will
ensure significant perpetual support for local, Activities to initiate the Pacific Ocean 2020
national and regional initiatives identified in Challenge include the following.
the Strategy.
• Identify and invite key high-level partners
The climate change threat also opens new who want to be involved in the
opportunities: growing awareness in all development and oversight of the Pacific
sectors, especially in developed country Challenge.
markets and new doors for fund raising. This
initiative is aimed at raising new funding for • Develop the Scientific Statement in
Pacific Ocean issues at a scale that can partnership with the Center for Ocean
significantly shift the level of engagement with Solutions by September 2008.
environment at all levels in the region.
• Establish a core strategy team from
Appropriate and robust governance amongst the initial partners.
structures, investment and disbursement
models for the functioning of this trust fund • Develop and commence implementation
must be developed and implemented. of an overarching communications
strategy to accompany all stages of the
Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge.• Partners to determine the way forward for
a “Pacific Ocean Report”. This will
include:
o Discussion on submissions from
IUCN Oceania on a way forward
o Commitments to funding
o Makeup of appropriate teams /
partners
o Guiding activities including
reviewing and consolidating all
available information on values
and the state of the Pacific and
threats to the Pacific values and
resources
• Partners to guide the Pacific Ocean 2020
Strategy including:
o Reviewing and consolidating all
available information on existing
conservation plans and their
success
o Identifying examples of and criteria
for success and for failure
o Identify marine and coastal
conservation management gaps
o Collaborative development of
overarching Pacific-wide
conservation strategies, processes
and criteria building on existing
plans
• Partners to determine the way forward for
the Pacific Ocean Trust Fund which will
include:
o Developing robust, transparent
and equitable governance
structures around the Pacific
Challenge Trust Fund For more information, please contact:
o Developing robust, transparent
and equitable disbursement Taholo Kami
processes for use of the Pacific Regional Director
Challenge Trust Fund IUCN Regional Office for Oceania
o Developing effective and reliable
investment strategies for the 5 Ma’afu Street, Suva
Pacific Challenge Trust Fund. Republic of Fiji Islands
Telephone: +679 331 9084
Email: taholo.kami@iucn.org
Cover photo credit: Stuart Chape©
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