Latest content: Commonwealth Blue Charter

Below are all latest news articles and upcoming events related to Commonwealth Blue Charter. 

By Subaskar Sitsabeshan, Outreach and Project Development Manager, Commonwealth Blue Charter

Last month, the champion countries of the Commonwealth Blue Charter gathered in Ottawa, Canada to reflect on joint progress to date in advancing ocean sustainability, and to chart a course for the next phase of the Blue Charter. As Outreach and Project Development Manager for this flagship initiative, I was excited to attend this long-awaited meeting, which had been postponed for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read news - Championing the ocean - Takeaways from the Commonwealth Blue Charter All-Champions Meeting
A review of ocean-based actions and commitments contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) reports – the main mechanism by which countries communicate their ambitions and efforts in support of the Paris Agreement – of the 49 coastal and island states within the Commonwealth.
Read publication - ‘Blueing’ the NDCs: A Review of the Nationally Determined Contributions of Commonwealth Coastal and Island Countries for Ocean-Based Actions and Commitments
Today as high-level government and conservation officials gathered in Vancouver for the final day of the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, urged countries to work together to protect the ocean and build a sustainable blue economy.
Read news - "Act now and act together to protect our ocean,” says Commonwealth Secretary-General
This blue economy Rapid Readiness Assessment (RRA) pilot project was undertaken in Antigua and Barbuda, alongside a second pilot project in Trinidad and Tobago, to establish the government’s readiness to embark on the transition to a sustainable blue economy (SBE). The RRA approach being developed is based on the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) Sustainable Blue Economy Transition Framework and is being trialled by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with UNEP, Howell Marine Consulting and the University of Portsmouth, under the Commonwealth Blue Charter programme. This report presents the findings of the RRA, with recommendations.
Read publication - Rapid Readiness Assessment for the Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy: Pilot project in Antigua and Barbuda
This blue economy Rapid Readiness Assessment (RRA) pilot project was undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago, alongside a second pilot project in Antigua and Barbuda, to establish the government’s readiness to embark on the transition to a sustainable blue economy (SBE). The RRA approach is based on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Sustainable Blue Economy Transition Framework (SBE-TF) and is being trialled by the Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with UNEP, Howell Marine Consulting and the University of Portsmouth, under the Commonwealth Blue Charter programme. This report presents the findings of the RRA, with recommendations.
Read publication - Rapid Readiness Assessment for the Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy: Pilot project in Trinidad and Tobago
The Commonwealth Secretary-General has called for a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the increasing threat of food insecurity across the world, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, the climate crisis, and political, social and economic inequalities.
Read news - “There is no time to waste”: Commonwealth Secretary-General calls for greater, multidisciplinary collaboration to enhance food security