Republic of the Seychelles © Christian Cacciamani

The Ocean Race Summit Seychelles Set to Explore Ocean Rights

The Ocean Race Summit Seychelles Set to Explore Ocean Rights

The event on 21st March will feature Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General and Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean

A high-level Summit featuring heads of state, ministers, and ocean advocates will be held in the Seychelles on Monday 21st March to help drive new and improved policies to tackle some of the most urgent issues facing our blue planet.

The Summit is organised by The Ocean Race, the world’s toughest test of a team in sport and an industry leader in sustainability, and 11th Hour Racing, an international organisation that mobilises sailing, maritime and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean. Held in collaboration with the Danny Faure Foundation and hosted by the Republic of Seychelles, The Ocean Race Summit Seychelles will address the lack of governance and protection for our seas, the impact of climate change, and examine whether the ocean should be given rights.

The Summit will feature leading voices from the Seychelles alongside global perspectives, with experts from government, science, industry, NGOs, and sailing. The confirmed speakers include:

  • Mr. Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles, who will reveal what the country is doing to protect the ocean and his views on ocean rights
  • The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, who will speak on the importance of women in ocean conservation and provide reflections on ocean rights
  • Mr. Danny Faure, Former President of Seychelles and Founder Danny Faure Foundation, who will share his experience of a nation leading the way in ocean action and the importance of creating an equitable world for people and planet
  • The Honourable Abraão Vicente, Minister of the Sea, Republic of Cabo Verde, who will share the country’s ambitious blue economy plans, support for ocean rights, and efforts to combat plastic pollution
  • Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General, who will talk about how commonwealth countries are leading the way in ocean protection, the importance of collaboration and the vital role of female leaders in this space
  • Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, who will speak on the urgent commitments that are needed to ensure the protection and restoration of the ocean. Ambassador Thomson will also bring Nature’s Baton, the symbol of Relay4Nature, to the Summit to highlight the inseparable connectivity of the issues affecting the planet and the collaborative solutions that are needed
  • Abby Ehler, offshore sailor, Founder & Director of the Magenta Project, who will share learnings from the sailing world that can be applied to ocean conservation and discuss her work to create opportunities and pathways for women in sailing
  • Kristina Gjerde, Advisory Board member at Schmidt Ocean Institute & Senior High Seas Advisor to IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme, who will talk about Schmidt Ocean Institute’s exciting exploration work and how giving the ocean a voice could help to fuel its protection

The Summit will celebrate female leadership and its important role in ocean conservation. It is being held in the Seychelles to reflect the vital role that island nations at the forefront of the climate crisis can play in driving awareness and action. The Ocean Race hosts Summits in different locations around the world to ensure that the most effective local solutions and innovations from across the globe are unearthed.

The event is part of a series of 12 Summits, which has been developed in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing, a Premier Partner of The Ocean Race and Founding Partner of the Racing with Purpose sustainability programme. The series explores the idea of giving the ocean rights in order to create a collective global effort to protect the seas. The concept can only be realised if ocean rights are embraced at a global scale, which is why The Ocean Race is working to gather support and momentum with key decision-makers and ocean advocates. Through collaborative action, The Ocean Race is building towards an ambitious goal of driving a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.

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Header image: Republic of the Seychelles © Christian Cacciamani