Small island states should lead, not just take part in, ocean research: Vivian

Alliance of such states seeks support to lead initiatives that address specific challenges

- Audrey Tan

NICE, France — Small island developing states have been the subjects of ocean research for too long, and should start to lead — not just participate in — scientific research that would help them better understand the marine environments they depend on.

Though they are the custodians of 30 per cent of the ocean under national jurisdictions, small island states lead just 0.3 per cent of UN-endorsed decade of action projects on ocean health, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on June 9. Ocean decade actions are science-based programmes, projects or activities endorsed by the UN to improve ocean health.

“Small island developing states have been the subjects of ocean research for too long, the observation points in data sets, the case studies in reports, and the vulnerable communities in impact assessments,” Dr Balakrishnan said on the first day of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

“Small island states are rarely the lead researchers, rarely the owners of our own ocean data. We believe that it is time to change that narrative,” he added.

A large part of the summit, which ends on June 13, focuses on boosting support for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. Representatives from 193 countries are expected to attend.

Dr Balakrishnan, who is leading a Singapore delegation, was speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) on the need for scientific cooperation for ocean health. Aosis groups 39 small-island and low-lying coastal developing states including Singapore, Palau, the Maldives and Belize.