On Thursday, 3 September 2020, the 3rd webinar, “The blue recovery and the delayed ocean ‘super’ year” was organized as a part of the World Ocean Summit Insight Hour webinar series, jointly organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, The Nippon Foundation, and The Economist Group. The World Ocean Summit scheduled for March this year in Tokyo was cancelled. Other international conferences to address ocean issues were postponed to later this year or next year. Nonetheless, we cannot afford to spare time and efforts and delay our work as there is an increasing urgency to tackle ocean risks and challenges. In this third webinar’s Keynote Panel, Ocean Policy Minister Seiichi Etoh of Japan, Maritime Minister Ricardo Serrão of Portugal, and Mr. Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean addressed priority policy issues to be taken up at forthcoming international conferences. In the High-Level Panel, leading negotiators and executive leaders discussed strategies for facilitating consensus building on key aspects of major negotiations that are anticipated at forthcoming international conferences.

Mr. Charles Goddard, Asia Pacific Editor, The Economist, recapitulated the past two webinars and outlined a series of important international conferences originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed to later this year or next. He termed 2020–2021 “the delayed ocean super year” and referred to a series of international conferences on the ocean as well as the negotiations on the removal of harmful fishery subsidies at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the proposed agreement regarding marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). He expressed his hope that the speakers would address key aspects of the forthcoming international conferences and negotiations vital for a sustainable ocean.
 
Dr. Atsushi Sunami, President, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation / President, Ocean Policy Research Institute of SPF, welcomed the participants at this 3^rd webinar and recalled the key points of discussions at the previous webinars. He stated that The Economist’s World Ocean Summit was supposed to take place in Tokyo last March and OPRI was supposed to host the related meetings, but they were all cancelled. He said that he was very pleased to have important leaders at this webinar who are spearheading preparations for a series of important ocean related meetings, such as the Our Ocean Conference in Palau, the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, negotiations on the proposed agreement for marine biodiversity in the areas beyond national jurisdiction, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He said that he was expecting vibrant discussions that would help in setting the trajectories of policies towards achieving a sustainable ocean and promoting a blue recovery.

Mr. Seichi Etoh, Minister for Ocean Policy, Japan, presented the key elements of Japan’s ocean policy, stating that Japan’s territorial waters and EEZ combined are 12 times larger than its land area and its EEZ alone is the sixth largest in the world. He referred to a wide range of ocean policy issues including maritime security, fishery resources, and the marine environment including marine plastic waste. Minister Etoh mentioned that Japan enacted the Basic Act on Ocean Policy in 2007 and established the Headquarters for Ocean Policy, headed by the Prime Minister and comprised of all cabinet ministers, and that the Third Basic Plan on Ocean Policy was approved by the Cabinet in 2018, setting out the priority issues for Japan’s ocean policy. He said that he considers a blue recovery vital to restore Japan’s and the world’s economies and emphasized the important role of a sustainable ocean-based economy or blue economy. The priorities include a sustainable exploration and development of seabed mineral resources, development of a zero-emission ship and its commercial use by 2028, establishment of Japan’s system for maritime domain awareness (MDA) and a Marine Information Display System (Umisiru). Mr. Etoh stated that the ocean related conferences should be better used as opportunities to boost a blue recovery, and that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a member of the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy, which provides useful policy recommendations relevant to achieving a sustainable ocean and  blue recovery.

Mr. Ricardo Serrão Santos, Minister of Maritime Affairs, Portugal, mentioned that in Portugal the blue economy generates more than 3.3 billion euros, which represents 3.5% of  Portugal’s Gross National Product and supports 3.1% of total jobs in the country. He referred to coastal tourism and recreational activities, that account for 70% of jobs in the country’s blue economy. As tourism shares a significant proportion of the national economy, he said that the Portuguese economy was adversely affected by the  COVID-19 pandemic. As hotels and restaurants were closed, he emphasized that the demand for seafood plummeted and the fishery and seafood sectors suffered economic damage. He stated that the Portuguese government has taken measures to protect the jobs and livelihoods of coastal communities and offered credits and compensation for the plagued fishery and seafood sectors. To reactivate commerce, businesses introduced online sales and expanded door-to-door delivery services. He referred to the 20 million Euro debt relief program for the affected sector. At the same time, he emphasized that the sustainability principle has not been abandoned in the blue recovery and continuous efforts are being made towards implementing new national maritime spatial plans. With respect to the priority policy objectives envisaged for the 2^nd UN Ocean Conference in 2021, he stated that the government is striving to facilitate dialogues with stakeholders, including those engaged in fisheries and aquaculture. He mentioned that Portugal is supposed to assume the presidency of the European Union for the first half of 2021 and plans to advance work for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. He underlined that the Portuguese government is facilitating preparations for the 2^nd UN Ocean Conference in close cooperation with Mr. Peter Thomson, other governments, and stakeholder groups.

Mr. Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, pointed out ocean crises such as dwindling biodiversity, declining ocean health, and the ever-growing climate crisis. He underlined the quote of UN Secretary-General António Guterres that we are knowingly destroying the life support systems of the planet. He stated that various conferences in 2020 were postponed and the process was disrupted by the pandemic. Nonetheless, he emphasized that we must aim at achieving the required outcomes by face-to-face and online conferences and by sustaining momentum towards the scheduled conferences. He referred to the example of SDG14.5 that focuses on marine protected areas. He said that we are supposed to conserve at least 10% of the ocean by the end of this year and it is still achievable, though there is still a huge amount of work to be done about it. He added that the forthcoming meeting of CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) this October would be critical, as MPA proposals are supposed to be discussed. He mentioned that it is also vital to achieve SDG14.6, which curtails harmful trade subsidies for fisheries and needs to be agreed upon at the WTO. He said that we have devoted a huge amount of work on this as well and we need to bolster the momentum and we should not despair. In response to the question by Mr. Goddard on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that there is no doubt about the adverse impacts of the pandemic on efforts to achieve SDGs. However, he said that the pandemic is short-term; to achieve the SDGs and to resolve the climate crisis for the planet requires much longer and persistent efforts. IUU fishing is another issue that requires long-term efforts. He mentioned that trillions of dollars have been committed to respond to the pandemic and mitigate its socio-economic impacts in order to support jobs and revitalize the economy, and that in the blue-green recovery, sustainability needs to be advanced through investments in promoting offshore wind, decarbonizing shipping, and fostering sustainable aquaculture. He mentioned the finding by the High-Level Panel of a Sustainable Ocean Economy that ocean-based investment yield benefits at least five times greater than the cost, which is very encouraging and promises to advance economic recovery and secure jobs. In responding to Mr. Goddard on the need for more holistic global governance of the ocean, he said that he expects the 2^nd UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon next year to address science and innovation for a sustainable ocean. He stated that it is important to build a system with a greater ability to promote innovative approaches for a sustainable ocean, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science will provide a further impetus to global efforts to achieve a healthy ocean and healthy planet.

H.E. Ms. Rena Lee, President, Intergovernmental Conference on marine biodiversity in the areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, stated that the fourth session of the Inter-government Conference on BBNJ scheduled to be held in March this year was postponed to the earliest possible available date in 2021. She said that all the work didn’t come to a standstill, but instead, delegates and stakeholders are taking this delay as an opportunity to facilitate coordination among themselves for better decision-making on some issues and possible options. She expressed her hope that we can clarify issues and conduct constructive consultations by embarking on inter-sessional works. In response to the question of Mr. Goddard on the balancing of conflicting interests and ensuring compliance and enforcement on the high seas, Ms. Lee responded that to build a fair, balanced, and effective treaty, it is important to identify key actors and engage them in the processes. She said that we know marine biodiversity and its governance within national boundaries, but it is not always the case for areas beyond national jurisdiction. She stated that we need a mechanism that can mobilize and absorb new knowledge and information, which will allow us to come to optimal decisions. She emphasized that we need the agreement to be effective, with universal participation to the extent possible.
 
H.E. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau to the UN in New York, mentioned that she plays multiple roles, as a coordinator for capacity building and marine technology transfer in the BBNJ negotiation and as a facilitator for the Ocean Conference to be held in Palau this December. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic gave us a chance to look at the progress of UNCLOS and better prepare for the Our Ocean Conference and the 2^nd UN Ocean Conference. She said that she attributes the unique features of the Our Ocean Conference to its commitment scheme. The governments of all countries, civil society, and non-governmental organizations and businesses consider and pledge their commitments for a sustainable ocean, and we review the progress. The scheme allows governments and stakeholders to pledge their actions for achieving their ambitions and tracking the progress. She mentioned that the Our Ocean Conference can be conducted with a mixture of physical and virtual platforms. In response to the question of Mr. Goddard on the nexus of ocean and climate, Ms. Olai stated that the ocean and climate change are indeed a tandem and require urgent actions. She urged us to collaborate to really build back the blue and fix a broken nature.

Professor Naoko Ishii, Director of the Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo and former CEO of the Global Environment Facility, mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the need to address the relation between nature and humans based on science. She emphasized that the fundamental solution needs to come from a review of our economy and social systems, including agriculture, production expansion, and urban systems, by addressing, for instance, how we can prevent diseases through making our lives and food supply systems in harmony with nature. She stated that delaying the 2020 super year to 2021 makes sense for us to find the fundamental solution to improve the decision-making system against vulnerabilities in supply chains. She underlined the need to think deeper and more holistically and comprehensively by moving away from conventional thinking. In this context, she said that we need a multi-stakeholder platform with broader participation for long-term strategies, by placing the focus on 2050, not 2030, while noting that the next ten years will be more important for 2050. She stated that multilateral environmental agreements are useful policy tools, but they do not provide ultimate solutions. She also underscored that the science-based policy approach will help in mobilizing investment. She emphasized that we should not step back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead build upon it to create new opportunities.
 
Mr. Tiago Pitta e Cunha, CEO, the Oceano Azul Foundation, stated that we are still in the process of exploring science-based solutions to the ocean environmental crisis. He said that IPCC reports provide viable options and we need to examine the threats that we face. He mentioned that the landscape has changed in 2020 due to the pandemic and we should be careful of not undermining our original vision. Due to the pandemic, people may be back on the street with more anger and fears. The diversion of government attention from sustainability policies would induce environmental degradation. In Davos in January this year people were more vocal on climate change and the ocean and advocated for more forceful agreements at the 2^nd UN Ocean Conference and more conservation efforts for the next ten years. He quoted the remarks of Mr. John Kerry, former US Secretary of State, that we need to give more attention to the ocean and transition to a sustainable ocean and climate. Mr. Cunha said that the renewable energy sector should be given high priority in sustaining the natural capital that we are dependent upon.