West African nations campaign for treaty protecting ocean: summary

Source: https://punchng.com/stakeholders-push-for-implementation-of-treaty-protecting-ocean-others/

What we know

Stakeholders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have pledged to push for the ratification and implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty (BBNJ).
The BBNJ is a legally binding instrument that is important for protecting the ocean, promoting fairness, fighting climate change and conserving marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The stakeholders pledged at the ECOWAS coordination meeting on the ratification of the BBNJ treaty organised by the Federal Government in partnership with the government of Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS Directorate of Environment and Natural Resources.
The treaty will be valid when 60 parties ratify it.
This has become necessary because of the changes in the ocean that are threatening ocean life and its environment.

What they said

Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako said that there’s an urgent need to address the glaring threat of the oceans globally. “The urgent need to address this threat has led Nigeria and its sister ECOWAS member nations to unite and call on the international community to be more ambitious in its response. Our appeal for an ambitious global response to the biodiversity crisis is urgent and focused," he was quoted by Nigerian media Punch. The Director of the Environment Department, ECOWAS, Moussa Leko, also indicated that “The task upon us today is to ensure that the vital ECOWAS appeal to the global community, calling for an ambitious global response to the biodiversity crisis continues to be heard loud and clear. “This appeal represents a fundamental truth, which is that we must take robust action now, to protect our planet. We must urgently protect biodiversity to preserve ecosystem services vital to human well-being, and the livelihood of our local communities. Losing these services or standing idle while our communities go impoverished and hungry would result in an unimaginable future. It cannot be considered an option.”

Wonder Hagan