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)