Jakarta (Antaranews Bali)- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith Garber is leading the U.S. government delegation to the Fifth Our Ocean Conference themed "Our Ocean, Our Legacy" in Bali, October 29-30, 2018.
The U.S. delegation also included senior officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIO), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement, Monday.
"The Our Ocean conference began as a Department of State initiative to draw international attention to the importance of the ocean for our economies, our food security, and our health'as well as the need for collaboration and concrete action to support sustainable use of our ocean and its resources," the statement said.
Representatives from the business community, the science and technology community, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and funders are expected to announce major commitments to support a healthy and productive ocean and a sustainable blue economy.
Top priorities for the United States at this year's conference include fostering collaboration among government, business, and other partners to create innovative solutions for the challenges facing the ocean; tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and promoting a sustainable blue economy and maritime security.
The US hosted the first and second Our Ocean Conferences respective in 2014 and 2015. (WDY)
