This Blue Pacific Ocean 2021 Report (BPOR) is indeed a first of its kind. While sectoral approaches to reporting on development and implementation in the various areas of ocean governance has been the norm, the BPOR is unique in the sense that it is the first attempt at the regional level to compile a comprehensive, multi-facetted, cross-cutting and holistic review and stock take of the state of affairs of ocean governance in the region, in the contemporary period. Rather than inventing the wheel as it were, the BPOR as is noted, leans extensively on existing regional, national and sectoral workand ocean initiatives, that now underpin much of the analysis in the report. In substance, the BPOR examines in a holistic manner the progress of implementation of key regional and or international ocean initiatives in the key ocean sectors. The BPOR also surmises that the absence of meaningful action, and or the necessary ‘political will’ to help close these governance gaps, and to address the implementation challenges, makes it extremely difficult for the region as a collective, to safe-guard it’s interests. To this end, the BPOR also proposes forward looking strategies to help promote and facilitate effective regional, and or sectoral stakeholder collaboration, to overcome these challenges, going forward.
