Principality of Monaco attends 8th Our Ocean international conference in Panama

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H.E. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, the Principality of Monaco’s Ambassador to the United States of America and Canada, represented H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince at the 8^th Our Ocean international conference held in Panama City (Panama) on 2 and 3 March 2023.

The event brought together more than 600 representatives from governments, the private sector and NGOs, who discussed a framework for the “blue economy” to protect and ensure the sustainable exploitation of the seas and oceans.

Following two days of debate on climate change, marine protected areas, sustainable fishing and maritime safety, more than 340 contributions were announced, totalling around 20 billion. The President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, signed a decree expanding the Banco Volcán marine protected area (in the Caribbean Sea) from 14,000 to 93,000 square kilometres, or nearly 55% of his country’s exclusive economic zone.

John Kerry, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, launched the Green Shipping initiative, which involves creating maritime corridors exclusively for ships with low or no carbon emissions. The Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Panama and the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership have all joined the initiative already.

For her part, Ambassador Maccario-Doyle announced Monaco’s support for the Call to Action on protecting the marine environment, including in the context of deep-sea mining. The Call to Action was launched following the 15^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which was held in Montreal in December 2022.