TEMPO.CO, New York - Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) attended the Inaugural Meeting of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, United States, on Monday, September 24.

Jusuf Kalla represented President Joko Widodo as the member of the high panel, accompanied by Minister Susi Pudjiastuti as sherpa (representative of the Indonesian government to partake in the preparatory of all panel's work), Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations Dian Triansyah Djani, and Chief of Vice Presidential Secretariat Mohammad Oemar.

The inaugural meeting presented 13 countries’ leaders as the member was first established by Prime Minister of Kingdom of Norway Erna Solberg in January this year. Erna Solberg along with President of the Republic of Palau led the panel.

“The panel is initiated by Norwegian Prime Minister to reserve the sea ecosystem and sustainable economic growth,” Minister Susi told Tempo.

Kalla said the sea is part of history, culture, and identity of Indonesia. It is one of the vital elements for the archipelago as the source of economic growth, energy, food security, and social activity.

Indonesia, he added, was currently facing various threats destructed the sea ecosystem such as the increasing overfishing which was in line with the population growth, coastal damage due to uncontrolled regional development, and the unsustainable sea product compliance.

However, Indonesia has applied several strategies to preserve and maintain the sea by decreasing 75 percent of plastic waste in the ocean by 2025 and calling for 20 million hectares areas of sea conservation.

The vice president pinned hope the high panel would synergize the political commitment to the sustainable ocean growth held by various global forum including UN Ocean Conference and Our Ocean Conference.

During the meeting, Jusuf Kalla invited the countries’ leaders to present at Our Ocean Conference on October 29-30 which would take place in Bali and Archipelago Island States Forum in Manado, November 1-2, 2018.

DEWI RINA CAHYANI