Ghana is set to join the global community in marking this year’s World Oceans Day on June 8.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly, through its resolution 63/111 of December 5, 2008, designated June 8 as World Oceans Day.
This annual celebration underscores the ocean’s significance to all life forms on Earth and aims to foster public awareness and actions for sustainable ocean management.
The goal of the celebration is to enlighten the public about the impact of human actions on the ocean, cultivate a global movement of citizens for the ocean’s protection, and rally the world’s population around a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.
This year’s celebration theme is ‘Awaken New Depths.’
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), in a statement issued on Thursday, June 6, emphasized the importance of this year’s celebration.
It said that the day serves as a wake-up call for Ghanaians to explore new depths, deepen strategic partnerships among stakeholders, and build a progressive coalition for enhanced ocean health and the accelerated development of our coastal communities and the nation as a whole.
“For us in Ghana, in observing the day, the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other key stakeholders, would like to re-emphasize the need to protect and restore the world’s ocean that connects us all, increase public education and awareness on sustainable ocean management practices, facilitate dialogues across various topics including the Ocean and Climate Nexus, Science and Innovation, Capacity Building, Biodiversity, Traditional and Local Community Knowledge, among others, and undertake exhibitions, media engagements, and a press release to advance efforts to awaken and explore new depths to achieve sustainable national ocean governance, protection, and the sustainable development goals 14 & 6 for enhanced ocean health.”
“Ocean tides are changing radically, hence the need to generate newer and deeper waves of excitement towards cherishing and protecting our ocean and the entirety of our blue planet. For us as individuals, institutions, communities, MMDAs, MDAs, and as a nation, we are therefore called upon to unite in exploring new depths towards managing, protecting, and sustaining our ocean to achieve a bluer, safer, and better lifestyle,” the statement further noted.
MESTI urged Ghanaians to use the day as a catalyst for social change, to highlight humanity’s connection to the ocean, demonstrate its cross-sector potential, awaken new depths, and chart a path to a cleaner, healthier, and sustainable ocean for ourselves and future generations.
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