Manado Declaration Adopted, But Criticized for Being Weak

Fidelis E. Satriastanti, Jakarta Globe 15 May 09;

Manado. Wrapping up an arduous two-year negotiation process, 76 countries on Thursday signed a pact to protect oceans and coastal areas from the impact of climate change.

Representatives from the 76 countries officially adopted the Manado Ocean Declaration after four days of meetings at the World Ocean Conference in the North Sulawesi capital.

“All participants have unanimously agreed on the points that have been delivered and the next step will be to bring this [declaration] to Copenhagen,” said Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi, referring to the UN climate change summit in December in Denmark.

He said during a press conference that the declaration reflected participants’ political will “that oceans and coastal area issues will be included in future climate change negotiations.”

The declaration contained 35 paragraphs and highlighted the need for financial resources and incentives to help developing countries protect oceans and seas, for renewable ocean technologies, and for funding for more research into the impact of climate change on oceans and the role of large bodies of water in fighting the harmful affects of climate change.

Arief Havaz Oegroseno, head of Indonesian delegation, said the declaration also invited parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to submit adaptation project proposals for coastal and ocean management to the Adaptation Fund Board.

“The board is not yet officially functional, so it would be a great opportunity for countries to seek funding, particularly for coastal communities which are vulnerable to climate change,” Arief said .

“Initially, we wanted the declaration to bring these issues to the UNFCCC. However, we have agreed to bring this to the UN system, which means that they must be included in the agenda of all UN organizations,” he said. “So, this exceeds our goals.”

Freddy denied accusations by nongovernmental organizations that the declaration did not adequately protect the fisheries sector, saying the statement included all actions necessary to secure the livelihoods of coastal communities in Indonesia or elsewhere.

Eddy Pratomo, the chairman of the conference’s Senior Officials Meeting, said earlier that a special paragraph covering illegal fishing and sustainable fisheries was included in the draft document.

On Thursday, however, he said the paragraph was no longer in the declaration.

“It is not mentioned literally in the declaration but it was combined in other points,” he said.

US delegation head Mary Glackin was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying that the nonbinding declaration contained no specific commitments for funding or emissions targets.

Eddy said that the declaration was not a scientific document but a political one. “This is a political matter, so this has been affecting the debate throughout the meeting,” he said.

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a scientist from Australia’s University of Queensland, told AFP he thought the outcome of the talks was “disappointingly weak given the severity of the problem.”

But Desima Williams, permanent representative of Grenada to the UN and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the conference had escalated “the connection, attention, potentials and values of oceans as important into negotiations.”


Some of the key points in the Manado Ocean Declaration:

• Participants strive to achieve long-term conservation, management and sustainable use of marine living resources and coastal habitats through the appropriate application of precautionary and ecosystem approaches, and to implement long-term strategies in meeting the internationally-agreed sustainable development goals.

• Participants stress the need for national strategies
for sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems, in particular mangrove, wetland, sea-grass, estuary and coral reef, as protective and productive buffer zones that deliver valuable ecosystem goods and services that have significant potential for addressing the adverse effects of climate change.

• Participants cooperate in furthering marine scientific research and sustained integrated ocean observation systems, promote education and public awareness, work together for the improved understanding on the role of oceans on climate change and vice-versa, and continue developing reliable scientific information on the roles of coastal and marine ecosystems in reducing the effects of climate change.

• Participants will take adequate measures to reduce sources of marine pollution, assure integrated management and rehabilitate coastal ecosystems.

• Participants invite parties to the UNFCCC to consider developing and submitting climate change adaptation project proposals for coastal and ocean management to the Adaptation Fund Board for consideration.

• Participants stress the need to promote affordable, environmentally sound and renewable ocean technologies, and know-how, particularly in developing countries.