Seychelles wants blue economy to be part of talks on green economy

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-6-22 9:59:08

Seychelles, an island country in the western Indian Ocean, on Thursday urged future negotiations on the green economy to include the issue of blue economy.

"As islanders, we would like the blue economy to be an integral part of future negotiations on the green economy," Seychelles 's Vice President Danny Faure told the ongoing UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) here.

"The oceans, seas, and their resources, not to mention the islands and coastal areas, are important for global food security and for achieving sustainable economic prosperity," he said.

The existing international framework for the protection of the oceans, however, may not have the required capacity to meet the challenges and respond to pressures exerted on the marine environment, he said.

"RIO+20 should call for firm political commitment for better protection of the marine environment and define the modalities for implementation of a blue economy," he added.

More than 100 heads of state and government were meeting here until Friday for the Rio+20 summit, which seeks to shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

A green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication was one of the two themes in focus.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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