Asia Stories

More than 180 participants from across the globe tuned in online to hear fresh insights on how to finance ocean protected areas in the Commonwealth. Held on July 22, the webinar was the second in a series organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, aimed at sharing ideas and solutions for ocean challenges. During the webinar, ocean…

On 4 March 2020, the Commonwealth and the Nekton Foundation will launch ‘First Descent: Midnight Zone’, a mission to explore and protect the Indian Ocean – the world’s least explored and most at risk ocean. First Descent First Descent is a ground-breaking scientific research mission, using the world’s most advanced deep diving submersible. The goal…

Countries driving the Commonwealth Blue Charter project will meet in Cyprus from 21 to 24 March 2020. They will reflect on what they’ve achieved over the past year, and agree on a strategy for the coming year. The Commonwealth Blue Charter is a landmark agreement by leaders to cooperate on ocean action. Since launching in 2018, 10 action groups led…

Commonwealth countries are joining forces to improve how they protect the ocean, as part of the voluntary actions being rolled out under the ground-breaking Commonwealth Blue Charter. The Blue Charter is an agreement by all 53 member countries to actively cooperate to protect ocean health and promote good ocean governance, with nine action groups to…

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland celebrated new in-roads made by Sri Lanka, chair of the Commonwealth’s Blue Charter Action Group on mangroves, by planting a mangrove plant in the country’s famous Koggala Lagoon. The area is home to 10 out of the 22 true mangrove species found in Sri Lanka, and the site of extensive mangrove restoration efforts involving local communities, businesses and the government. With about a quarter of the population living…

The Commonwealth is working to establish a fund to help member countries take practical action on ocean sustainability. Ministers leading Commonwealth Blue Charter action groups met in Oslo with marine experts, investors and philanthropists to discuss the shape of the proposed fund.  The meeting took place during the Our Ocean Conference, to build partnerships between government, industry, science and…

Commonwealth countries are meeting this week in Negombo, Sri Lanka to decide on a work plan to help save the world’s mangroves. The plan includes joint actions, projects and funding strategies for the short and medium term. The activity is part of the work carried out under the Commonwealth Blue Charter – an agreement by…

Fresh alliances are set to flourish under the Commonwealth’s flagship programme for ocean action, known as the Blue Charter.