While the island states in the Pacific may be modest, the ocean that surrounds them represents a huge oceanic state—an area equivalent to the entire European Continent.
And for the first time, 22 Pacific Island countries and territories have pledged to manage 100 percent of the Blue Pacific Continent sustainably and protect at least 30 percent by 2030, Director General of the Pacific Community Dr. Stuart Minchin told a packed-to-capacity crowd at a launch held on June 10 at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) currently underway in Nice, France.
“That kind of commitment sends a clear message the Pacific is not waiting on the world,” Minchin said of the project known as the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP).
Elaborating on the project, speakers said this initiative, dubbed the largest conservation project in the world, meant that the countries and territories have shifted from short-term regional projects to long-term, Pacific-led solutions over donor-driven models.
