Awards for Best Policies to End Ocean’s Degradation

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 26 2012 (IPS) - The Republic of Palau was declared  winner of the Future Policy Award 2012 “for the world’s most inspiring, innovative and influential policy on the protection of oceans and coasts”, while the Philippines and Namibia received two Silver Awards. The awards were given at a ceremony here last week.

“With the Future Policy Award we want to cast a spotlight on policies that lead by example,” explained Alexandra Wandel, director of the World Future Council, at a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York.  “This award is the first to celebrate policies rather than people on an international level,” Wandel said.

Initially,  31 policies were nominated but only six of them — California (USA), Namibia, the Philippines, South Africa and two policies of Palau –  remained on a  short list.

This year’s topic chosen by the World Future Council (WTC), which is an international policy research organisation, is particularly focused on the conservation of oceans and coasts for the benefit of current and future generations.

The aim of the award is to raise global awareness in order to make progress in developing sustainable and peaceful societies and creating better living conditions for all generations.

“The ocean world is in all our daily lives. Even for the many millions of people who may not think that they have a strong reliance on oceans, marine ecosystems and wildlife provide all kinds of benefits” said Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Namibia won its Silver Award for its viable fishing industry and the Philippines for its Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act aimed at  protecting the Tubbataha reefs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of coral reef biodiversity.