06th December 2016 On 2 December 2016, the Ministers from around the world joined hands, in Cancun, Mexico, in agreement to exert further efforts and actions to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets based on the agreed Cancun Declaration on 3 December 2016. This agreement was to ensure effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2010 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
A call to strengthen mainstreaming biodiversity in the Declaration, covered the various areas of agriculture, tourism, fisheries and forestry. Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Environment, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, delivered the following statement from Tonga pledging the following commitments to enhance efforts in the following areas:
- That Tonga will meet the given expectation to protect 20% of its terrestrial and 30% of its marine area by 2020; and although it has met its marine managed areas at 36%, Tonga further pledges to extend it to 50%.
- Tonga’s continued commitment to the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (S.A.M.O.A) Pathway recognising that “the adverse impacts of climate change compound existing challenges in small island developing States and have placed additional burdens on their national budgets and their efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals”. To counter this challenge, Tonga supports Tourism as an important driver of sustainable economic growth with decent job creation. Under the Samoa Pathway Section 30, it alludes to sustainable tourism particularly in the area of ecotourism, agri-tourism and cultural tourism as a means.
He further alluded to the learning gained supporting synergy between conservation and development from Tonga using the Ridge to Reef approach that focuses on managing natural resources for livelihoods and well-being as well as proper management of tourism resource such as that of the management of whale-watching and enforcement of relating regulations and policies.
It is with such passionate commitment that Tonga looks forward to contribute towards the achievement of the Aichi Targets and various conventions convened in Cancun for this year.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Ta’hirih F.Hokafonu
National Project Coordinator
Tonga Ridge to Reef: IEMP FLC Project – UNDP Supported and GEF financing Environment Department work: +676 8625050 or +676 7734267 cellphone: +676 8883327
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications
