Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim, has departed for France to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference.
The international conference, held from 9 to 13 June in Nice, France, will be attended by world leaders, policy makers, scientists and environmentalists. The main objective of the conference is to highlight the importance of protecting and sustainably utilising the world's oceans and taking urgent action.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the conference will focus on exploring strategies for securing the resources needed to achieve the 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) and accelerating global action.
SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. This goal focuses on protecting marine life, reducing pollution, managing fisheries, and combating ocean acidification.
Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam, has already arrived in France to attend the conference.
A special session is scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the 3rd session of the United Nations Oceans Conference, as an initiative by the Maldives. The Fisheries Ministry said the session will provide extensive, in-depth discussions and exchange of views, with expert proposals from industry experts on measures to be taken at national and international levels to ensure that small-scale fisheries in countries like Maldives are also sustainably developed through a planned, operated and and managed system.