Advocating for action on climate change will remain a priority for Palau, President-elect Surangel Whipps Jr. told reporters in a press conference last week.
“We live with it everyday , in my lifetime I’ve seen the tides rise,” Whipps stressed as he also highlighted that the incoming government is supporting and welcoming the decision for Palau to host Our Ocean Conference in 2021.
He said that the conference will be an opportunity for Palau to further showcase its trailblazing efforts to combat climate change.
“That’s our opportunity to share with the world, that we are a leader and continue to be a leader in this area, ‘ he said.
In October, President Tommy Remengesau announced the postponement of Our Ocean Conference previously scheduled in Koror in December to 2021.
The Our Ocean Conference Secretariat here said the decision has been taken by the Palau in consultation with the OOC Advisory Group. Panama, Norway, USA, Chile, Indonesia and European Union.
Panama has agreed to host it in 2022,, the date for the 2021 event has yet to be announced.
“As we approach the end of the year, we need to bear in mind that the world will not have met the biodiversity targets for our ocean that we set a decade ago in Aichi, Japan under the Convention on Biodiversity. We hope that Our Ocean 2021 can be a moment to build back better and showcase new action coalitions and partnerships in our transition to a sustainable ocean economy,” the statement further added.
New preparatory timelines for Our Ocean 2021 will be launched next year. (B. Carreon)
Advocating action on climate change will be a priority- President-elect Whipps
