The Ministerial Conference on the Oceans of the Commonwealth states is taking place tomorrow in Paphos, with the theme: “Our Resilient Ocean: From Cyprus to Samoa.”
The opening reception will be held today, followed by the official opening of the Conference tomorrow with greetings and speeches.
Ministers from Commonwealth governments and senior officials from member states will participate in the meeting.
The Commonwealth Ministers responsible for ocean matters will meet to determine the principles, priorities, and actions for a Commonwealth Declaration on the Oceans and to agree on a roadmap that will pave the way for the adoption of the Declaration at CHOGM 2024 in Samoa.
The Ministerial Conference will take place at the luxurious Aphrodite Hills resort in the Petra tou Romiou area, preceded today by a meeting of senior officials from Commonwealth states, serving as a preparatory meeting for the Ministerial Conference.
One-fifth of the total marine trade and one-fifth of the maritime ports are within the Commonwealth.
49 out of the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth are coastal, hosting 47% of the world’s coral reefs and 34% of mangrove forests. One-third of the world’s marine waters are within national jurisdiction.
25 out of the 33 small states of the Commonwealth are Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or Large Ocean States, which is two-thirds of the global total.
