Caribbean leaders to participate in Blue Justice Conference

In the wake of the historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters – and on the side lines of the United Nations Water Conference – the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Norway are convening world leaders in Copenhagen on March 23-24 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, a release from the organisers state.

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.

Caribbean Speakers include: Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) secretariat, Milton Haughton; Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment, Montserrat, Crenston Bufffonge; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue & Green Economy, Commonwealth of Dominica, Jullan Defoe; and on behalf of Minister of Agriculture & Lands, Fisheries & Cooperatives, Grenada Justin Renny. The venue for the event is UN City, Copenhagen, Denmark, (and virtually).

This country’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Saboto Caesar, will be among those who will attend the forum virtually.