Indonesia to host an International conference on climate change


By Deogratias Kishombo, Dar es salaam

About 135 high level officials from world countries and multilateral organisations are expected to attend the World Ocean Conference in Indonesia on May this year, with the theme “oceans and climate change” the embassy has said

The event will take place in Wenang, Menado City-Northen Sulawesi on May from 11th to 15th, 2009, according to the statement made by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dar es Salaam earlier this week.

The statement said that the conference will discuss four issues in relation to the WOC2009 theme, including: climate change impacts, the role of oceans in regulating climate change, adaptation and mitigation and opportunities for regional and international cooperation.

“With this goal in mind, Indonesia has taken the initiative of hosting the World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Menado on the 11th -15th May 2009, hereafter referred to as WOC2009, which will be attended by Ministers and High level Government Officials and High level Officials from Multilateral Organisation” a part of the statement said

According to the ‘Aide Memoire’ on the World Ocean Conference of this year, says that the expanse of the oceans plays a major role in determining world climate. O the other hand, the recent increasing rate of global climate is having a great impact on oceans, affecting both marine life and the lives of people whose livelihoods depend on marine resources and on the marine and coastal environment

“The oceans cover almost 2/3 of the earth’s surface and with its ecological, social and economic functions; it can greatly impact of the people on this earth. The oceans, land and the atmosphere above them are indeed part of one whole system with intimate links between them” it said

The World Ocean Conference (WOC) 2009 is a forum for the world community to discuss current issues in the marine field which are related to climate change, in order to achieve an international agreement and draw up an adaptive strategy to use of marine resources wisely for the benefit of humanity

“During this WOC2009, we very much hope for strong ‘political will’ from the government representatives so that an agreement can be reached and will become a corridor guiding marine management at the globe level” the statement added

WOC2009 is an international forum to develop a common understanding and firm commitment to address the impact of climate change on the state of the world’s oceans and to increase our understanding of the role of the oceans in determining the rate of global climate change

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