Indonesia to sign UN Ocean Charter
Indonesia to sign UN Ocean Charter
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is to sign the United Nation's Ocean
Charter and commit itself to protecting the seas and using the
maritime resources at its disposal in a sustainable way.
President B.J. Habibie will sign the charter on board a
warship in Manado Bay, North Sulawesi, on Sept. 26, Navy
Commodore Yoost F. Mengko said on Friday. Yoost is coordinator of
the Indonesian program for this year's International Year of the
Ocean.
Habibie will also read the "Bunaken Declaration" outlining the
government's commitment to managing and preserving marine
resources, said Yoost, an aide to the Navy chief of staff.
The declaration is named after Indonesia's internationally
renowned marine national park and diving location which lies just
off Manado.
The charter, drawn up by the United Nation's Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission last year, requires signatory
governments to formulate policies, standards and regulations to
protect the ocean environment, nationally and internationally.
It also encourages nations to pursue global programs and
agreements concerning the ocean.
The United States and Canada were among the first countries to
sign the non-legally binding charter.
The Indonesian Navy, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and
the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology have
coordinated a series of programs since July as part of efforts to
increase national awareness of the need to protect the country's
seas. These programs have included marine research, training,
expeditions and seminars.
Beach clean up days have been planned, starting with Manado
and Jakarta's Ancol Beach on Sept. 27. Similar days will be held
in other locations between then and December.
"The Beach Clean Up Day campaign will be organized with the
help of local government agencies and the Ministry of Education
and Culture," Navy spokesman Col. Mualimin Santoso M.Z. said.
"We are a maritime nation, yet we know little about our seas,"
Yoost added.
Indonesia is the largest archipelagic nation in the world. It
consists of 17,508 islands an is surrounded by 5.9 million square
kilometers of seas under its jurisdiction. The country's shore
line is 81,000 kilometers long. (01)