DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (IPS) – Deep-sea mining may not be on the official agenda next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos (January 20-24), but restoring public trust in international cooperation is.
Perhaps the most significant commitment African and European leaders can make here to restore trust in their ability to solve complicated problems, and one that safeguards our planet’s health and interconnected ocean, is to call for a pause on deep-sea mining in international waters.
As co-chairs of the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance, an initiative of the European Commission, in partnership with the African Union Commission, and facilitated by the Africa-Europe Foundation, we have already begun discussing how both continents could benefit from greater collaboration in fisheries management, marine pollution, and habitat protection, especially in the face of climate change.
