Former President James Michel has reiterates his call for concrete action and less talk at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali
Former President James Michel has reiterated his call for concrete action and less talk in efforts to protect the ocean which is our life support system on earth. He made the plea during his intervention at a high level roundtable discussion between the founding ambassadors of the Pew Bertarelli Legacy and top scientists on the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The session organised by the Pew Bertarelli Legacy and chaired by Former US Foreign Secretary, John Kerry discussed the work being done to ensure that MPAs provide concrete protections, including a revised standards by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that the primary focus on an MPA must be the conservation of biodiversity. The session was organised on the sideline and on day two of the Our Ocean conference in Bali.
Later during the day, Mr. Michel was a special guest at a networking cultural event organised by the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) which he co-founder with the President of Palau, Mr. Thomas Remengesau Jr. back in 2005. President Remengesau succeeded Mr. Michel as Chair.
The Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles and his delegation to Bali 2018 were also guests at the event.
President Remengesau praised Mr. Michel for initiating an international platform for island states which eventually resulted in GLISPA and for his passion and devotion towards the cause of small island states in particular. He also praised Vice President Vincent Meriton and Seychelles as a country for staying the course in the face of challenges, towards innovative solutions in favour of the ocean.
He also praised Seychelles Hhe
GLISPA gave rise to the famous debt swap for ocean conservation and climate adaptation, the first of its kind that played a leading role in sailing Seychelles on its current voyage to the blue economy. The latest milestone on that journey is the Seychelles Sovereign Blue Bond, also a world first, which was launched by Vice President Vincent Meriton in partnership with the World Bank on October 29 at Our Ocean 2018.