CARICOM to participate in Blue Justice Conference 2023

CARICOM Ministers with responsibility for the environment, agriculture and fisheries, and the Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will participate in the Blue Justice Conference 2023 to be held virtually from UN City, Copenhagen, Denmark

In the wake of the historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters – and on the side lines of the UN Water Conference – the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Norway are convening world leaders in Copenhagen on 23-24 March for the largest global high-level event on transnational organised crime in the global fishing industry.

Countries and communities across the world are dependent on the sea, its resources, and the opportunities it holds for the economy, food and well-being of both people and planet. Fisheries crime undermines the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and poses serious threats to marine ecosystems, economic development, and global food security.

With political leaders from over 35 countries and territories from six continents represented, the Blue Justice Conference 2023 is a unique opportunity to accelerate international efforts to strengthen global capacity and inter-agency cooperation for the prevention and law enforcement of fisheries crime and towards the fulfilment of the SDGs.

This year also marks the five-year anniversary of the International Declaration on Transnational Organized Crime in the Global Fishing Industry (the Copenhagen Declaration) which was adopted by nine Ministers from four continents in Copenhagen in 2018. Since then, 51 countries and territories have signed the Declaration and the upcoming Blue Justice Conference presents an opportunity for new countries to add
their signature to the list.

CARIBBEAN SPEAKERS

·  Milton Haughton, Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat

·  H.E. Crenston Buffonge, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment, Montserrat

·  H.E. Jullan Defoe, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue & Green Economy, Commonwealth of Dominica

·  Justin Renny, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture & Lands, Fisheries & Cooperatives, Grenada

·  H.E. Pearnel Charles Jr, Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, Jamaica

·  H.E. Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, St. Kitts & Nevis

·  H.E. Adrian Forde, Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Barbados (virtual)

·  Adriel Castaneda, on behalf of Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Belize (virtual)

·  H.E. Sabato Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry & Labour, St Vincent + the Grenadines (virtual)

·  H.E. Josephine Olivia Connolly, Minister of Fisheries, Turks & Caicos (virtual)

·  H.E. Parmanand Sewidien, Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, Suriname (virtual; pre-recorded)

·  Gavin Bellamy, Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Authority, Jamaica

For registration to the conference and interview requests, please contact: • Stina Amnebjer, UNDP Project Manager: stina.amnebjer@undp.org

Key links • Website for the Conference and Agenda: https://bluejustice.org/conference-2023/

• Follow live: https://bluejustice.org/

• International Declaration on Transnational Organized Crime in the Global Fishing Industry (Copenhagen Declaration): https://bluejustice.org/copenhagen-declaration/

About Blue Justice

Led by the Government of Norway, the Blue Justice Initiative is a global effort against transnational crime in the fishing industry. The initiative contributes to sustainable fisheries and oceans governance by promoting sustainable and equitable use of marine resources, strengthening rule of law and human rights, supporting effective governance of marine resources via strengthening international and inter-agency cooperation.

UNDP Blue Resilience supports national partners globally to strengthen cooperative governmental efforts to address fisheries crime towards these goals. The UNDP Blue Resilience project is funded by the Government of Norway through the Blue Justice Initiative.

About UNDP

UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development. We support countries and communities as they work to eradicate poverty, implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We advocate for transformative change, and we connect countries to the resources they need to help people build a better life.

Source: CARICOM TODAY