President, Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), Mr. Anthony Akpan, has been invited to serve as an expert member of the Marine Genetic Resources (MGR) Scientific Advisory Committee.
The Committee is established under the Future Ocean Programme – Pillar 3 titled Ocean Observation Technologies of the Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute of the World Maritime University (WMU).
Mr. Akpan is the only African serving on the committee.
The Advisory Committee aims to:
- Facilitate scholarly collaboration among leading experts working on MGRs.
- Provide guidance on the ongoing work of the Working Group on Data for Ocean Biodiversity
- Address the challenges that may arise between the global efforts for ocean data and the Clearing House Mechanism of the BBNJ Agreement.
The Future Ocean Programme is concerned with the future of ocean governance over a 50-year span (2024 – 2074). This future will be determined by how the world tackles the triple planetary crisis of catastrophic loss of biodiversity, human induced climate change, and pollution of the marine environment including plastic pollution.
The programme will deliver both scholarly outcomes and policy-relevant and accessible research outputs, making positive impacts on regional and international processes relating to the protection and sustainable use of areas beyond national jurisdiction, while building regional and national capacity.