Ghana among countries to pioneer implementation of Ocean Centre

Ghana has been named among seven emerging?ocean economies chosen to pioneer the implementation of the Ocean Centres initiative. 

The International Ocean Centres Initiative for Safer and More Sustainable Ocean Economies across the Global South will be championed in Ghana by the UN Global Compact Network Ghana. 

The selection followed a comprehensive scoping phase conducted in 2023, which included analysis of UN Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition strategy documents, academic research, benchmarking, and expert interviews across diverse national contexts. 

A press statement announcing this indicated that the Ocean Centres would?be officially launched at a high-level side event of the United Nations. 

Ocean Conference on June 10 at Nice, France, titled “United by Ocean Centres – Global and?Local Ocean Collaboration in Practice”. 

The?event is expected to bring together international experts, government leaders, and the country would lead from each ocean centre to explore how local action can inform global progress. 

The statement noted that Dr Emmanuel Kofi?Mbiah, the Country Lead for the Ocean Centres in Ghana, would?participate in the?United Nations Ocean Conference, attend?various events, take?part in a workshop, and speak at the official launch. 

“We believe that, at a global level, the Ocean Centres initiative will strengthen food security, port efficiency, clean energy development, and biodiversity protection. As hubs for sustainable ocean stewardship, they will drive long-term economic and environmental benefits through collaboration, innovation, and investment,” it said. 

It noted that Ghana faces relevant challenges in maritime safety, governance, and infrastructure?such as?Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing?(IUU), fragmented regulation, and limited investment. 

It added that the government is beginning to allocate more resources to the blue economy, showing commitment to long-term development. Opportunities include improving safety in the trawler industry, raising ESG awareness, and embedding international standards. 

“Despite constraints like limited environmental planning and a small maritime sector, strong climate awareness and public-private collaboration offer momentum. 

It announced that the priorities of Ghana’s Ocean Centres across the four Action Areas are Shipping and?Ports, Fishing and?Aquaculture, Finance and?Investment, and Offshore Renewables, adding that at the national level, the initiative aims to strengthen maritime safety, reduce accidents, and foster a culture of prevention. 

These improvements, it stated, would?enhance operational efficiency, sustainability, and regulatory compliance, supporting Ghana’s broader blue economy agenda. 

The ambition of the UN Global Compact is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. 

The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 20,000 participating companies, five Regional Hubs, 63 Country Networks covering 80 countries and 13 Country Managers establishing Networks in 18 other countries. 

Source: GNA 

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