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GLOBAL ISLAND PARTNERSHIP (GLISPA)

 

Background:
 
GLISPA has grown rapidly since it was first called for in January 2005 at the UN’s second global conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Mauritius and then subsequently launched at the Eighth Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Brazil in March 2006. It is recognized by the CBD as a partnership to advance the implementation of their Island Biodiversity Programme of Work and also registered as a best practice partnership by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. GLISPA is currently co-chaired by the Presidents of Seychelles and Palau as well as Prime Minister of Grenada. The GLISPA strategy is guided by a Steering Committee of dedicated champions and supporters to create a unique network able to mobilize significant action. An Executive Committee, a smaller subgroup of the Steering Committee, provides oversight on governance and fundraising for the Partnership. The Coordination Unit for GLISPA is hosted by IUCN Washington, D.C. and works closely with the Islands Initiative of their Ecosystem Management Programme at IUCN HQ in Gland, Switzerland.
 
Mission:
 
The Global Island Partnership promotes actions for island conservation and sustainable livelihoods by inspiring leadership, catalyzing commitments, and facilitating collaboration among all islands.
 
Priorities:
 
  • Successful implementation of regional island challenges and other partner commitments.
  • Linking conservation and sustainable livelihoods to meaningful, action-oriented development dialogue with leaders and decision-makers from government bodies, business and non-profit organizations.
  • Ecosystem-based adaptation, mitigation and reducing the threat of invasive species.
  • Showcasing island solutions as “bright spots” that can be scaled and replicated to achieve global development goals.
 
Achievements:
 
Since its inception in 2005, the Partnership has engaged leaders all over the world. More than 30 countries have worked with GLISPA to support high-level commitments and on the ground action for island conservation and sustainable use of natural resources worth more than US$130 million. The following are examples of island commitments and initiatives that are utilising GLISPA to advance their collaboration, planning and implementation.
 
 
On 5 November 2005, led by then President Remengesau of Palau, five Micronesian governments — the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the U.S. Territory of Guam, and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — came together in a joint commitment to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. Covering 6.7 million square kilometers of ocean, the Micronesia Challenge represents more than 20% of the Pacific Island region - and 5% of the largest ocean in the world. The Challenge will help protect at least 66 currently identified threatened species, 10% of the global total reef area and 462 coral species - that is 59% of all known corals. Other relevant websites of interest include:
 
 
 
 
Kiribati first declared the creation of PIPA at the COP8 in Brazil. On 30 January 2008, Kiribati adopted formal regulations for PIPA that more than doubled the original size to make it at that time the largest marine protected area on Earth. With a size of 408,250 km2 (157,626 sq. miles) it is the largest marine protected area in the Pacific Ocean and the largest marine conservation effort of its kind by a Least Developed Country. In 2010 PIPA was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. PIPA is partly financed through an innovative “reverse fishing license” which will fund an endowment to cover core management costs and compensate the government for foregone commercial fishing license revenues. Other relevant websites of interest include:
 
 
 
 
Recognizing the need to safeguard the region’s marine and coastal resources, Indonesian President Yudhoyono inspired other leaders in the region to launch the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) in 2009. The CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership between the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste (the ‘CT6’). There is broad scientific consensus that the Coral Triangle represents a global epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity. Spanning only 1.6% of the planet’s oceans, the Coral Triangle region is home to the highest coral diversity in the world with 600 corals or 76% of the world’s known coral species. It contains the highest reef fish diversity on the planet with 2,500 or 37% of the world’s reef fish species concentrated in the area. It also a spawning and nursery ground for six species of threatened marine turtles, endangered fish and cetaceans such as tuna and blue whales. These unparalleled marine and coastal living resources provide significant benefits to the approximately 363 million people who reside in the Coral Triangle, as well as billions more outside the region. As a source of food, income and protection from severe weather events, the ongoing health of these ecosystems is critical. Other relevant websites of interest include:
 
 
 
In May 2008, The Bahamas’ government, alongside leaders from Jamaica, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines officially launched the Caribbean Challenge at the COP9 in Bonn, Germany. These five Caribbean nations have committed to protecting nearly 20% of their marine and coastal habitat by 2020. In addition, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia became active members. Now, these nine countries have come together to develop sustainable financing for protected areas through the establishment of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, which currently has funding commitments of over US $42 million. Other relevant websites of interest include:
 
 
 
The WIOCC was first proposed by the President of the Seychelles in 2007 as a platform to galvanize political, financial and technical commitments and actions at national and regional levels on climate change adaptation, promoting resilient ecosystems (marine and coastal resources), sustainable livelihoods, and human security. The WIOCC will mobilize the commitment to action necessary to achieve the goals of existing conventions and strategies such as the Nairobi Convention. This will be achieved by inspiring leadership, catalyzing resources and facilitating collaboration towards a shared, long-term vision. Other relevant websites of interest include:
 
 
 
 
Launched in 2011, Hawaii Green Growth is a robust partnership of 50 leaders from across the energy, food and environment sectors serving as a catalyst for multi-sector action to advance Hawaii’s emerging green economy. Working with Hawaii’s Governor, four Mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the State Legislature, these leaders launched the Aloha+ Challenge in July 2014 with six ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030: clean energy, local food production, natural resource management, waste reduction, climate resilience and smart growth, green jobs and education.
 
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