VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government will host the fifth "Our Ocean Conference" in Bali on October 29-30, 2018, according to the conference’s official website http://www.ourocean2018.org/ launched on June 8 to coincide with World Ocean Day.

The website states that "Our Ocean Conference is focused on generating commitments and taking actions to maintain the sustainability of our oceans.

Since 2014, "Our Ocean Conference" has successfully generated commitments totaling around US$18 billion and 12.4 million square kilometers of marine protected areas.

"Our Ocean Conference" 2018 will demonstrate significant progress on past commitments and inspire new ones made for the continuation of more concerted and integrated actions for protecting the oceans.

This year, the conference will convene participants from countries across the globe to ensure diverse perspectives from various stakeholders, including governments, commercial sectors, financing entities, scientific communities, civil society organizations, and young leaders. Heads of state, ministers, and champions from various backgrounds will also be invited to influence concrete and actionable commitments to preserve the oceans' health.

"Our Ocean, Our Legacy" will be the theme of this year’s conference, as it reflects choices and actions to maintain the sustainability of the oceans` resources and to preserve their health, as a heritage presented for future generations.

The main objective of "Our Ocean Conference" is to increase as well as enhance the collaboration and partnership between various ocean stakeholders, which is translated into concrete and actionable commitments.

Discussions during the conference will highlight integrated and actionable solutions, which remove barriers between sectors, disciplines, and financing streams to comprehensively address the ocean as an inter-connected system and economy.

Marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and climate change-related impacts on the oceans will be among the focus areas of this year`s conference.

This year’s "Our Ocean Conference" will also maintain the crosscutting themes of sustainable blue economy and maritime security, as introduced by the European Union in 2017.

The meeting will continue the strong tradition of tracking past commitments and encouraging new commitments and partnerships that deliver multiple objectives.

While maintaining its global reach, "Our Ocean Conference" 2018 is the first conference to be held in Asia and as such will highlight the importance of action in the region.

As the largest archipelago in the world, with its 17 thousand islands, Indonesia represents the lifeline that "Our Ocean" holds for humankind. (ANTARA)