UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean coming to MC11 in Buenos Aires

17 November 2017

At a side event organized by the International Oceanographic Commission on 2nd November in the margins of UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson emphasized the importance of reaching a deal on harmful fisheries subsidies, next month at the 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Buenos Aires:

“This is the time for the WTO to open the way to prohibition of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity, overfishing and to IUU fishing, and for its members to agree to refrain from introducing any new subsidies in this regard. These essential elements, with a 2020 implementation date, are explicitly recognized in Target 6 of SDG14. WTO’s fisheries subsidies negotiations are identified in SDG14 as the relevant vehicle to achieve this universally adopted target.

I intend to be in Buenos Aires next month to further emphasize this message. I commend trade negotiators for the hard work they are doing in Geneva to prepare the ground for a successful outcome in Buenos Aires. The Ocean is in deep trouble and much is expected of those of us in positions of power to reverse the cycle of decline into which accumulated human activity has placed the Ocean.”

In Buenos Aires, Ambassador Thomson will be a Special Guest at the session on fisheries subsidies organized by The Low Hanging Fish campaign on Monday 11 December between 10h45 and 12h15 at the Trade & Sustainable Development Symposium of which BLOOM and The Varda Group are Knowledge Partners. New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO David Walker, BLOOM Founder & CEO Claire Nouvian will also speak at this event facilitated by Varda Group Director Rémi Parmentier.

Do not forget to sign up and register for the symposium!