The GEF to expand ocean support under new high seas treaty

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

“The Global Environment Facility is honored to serve this important new convention. We are ready to continue and intensify support for biodiversity protection and ocean health on the high seas.” – GEF CEO Carlos Manuel Rodr?guez

The Global Environment Facility welcomes the draft agreement reached on Saturday [March 4, 2023] under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, known as BBNJ.

More than a decade in the making, the BBNJ agreement commits countries to safeguarding life on the high seas through a variety of means including the equitable use of marine genetic resources, area-based management tools such as marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.

The draft text, which will be adopted at a resumed intergovernmental conference at a future date, designates the GEF trust fund as part of the financial mechanism for the new convention, alongside a designated special fund and an additional voluntary fund.

GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodr?guez welcomed the draft treaty and strong commitment by countries to the sustainable management of the high seas, which make up 40 percent of the surface of the planet, 64 percent of the surface of the ocean and nearly 95 percent of its volume.

“The ocean is a critical source of life, food, energy, and recreation, and we need to care for it. It is extremely heartening to see countries come together to prioritize the biodiversity and ecosystems of the high seas,” said Rodr?guez, a former Costa Rican environment minister and avid surfer.

“The Global Environment Facility is honored to serve this important new convention. We are ready to continue and intensify support for biodiversity protection and ocean health on the high seas,” Rodr?guez said. “We will support national ratification and implementation of the convention once negotiations have concluded, with the agreement of the GEF Council.”

Areas beyond national jurisdiction are facing multiple threats including overfishing, illegal fishing, mining, oil and gas activities, land-based pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. They also contain marine resources of significant ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural importance. “This agreement will enable these last frontiers of our planet to be conserved and sustainably managed,” Rodr?guez said.

The GEF is a family of funds that enables developing countries to meet their commitments under international conventions including those on biodiversity, climate change, desertification, and toxic pollutants. The new high seas treaty expands this role and deepens the GEF’s existing efforts to conserve and promote the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity.

To date, the GEF has invested more than $1.2 billion in the management of shared marine resources, including $80 million for areas beyond national jurisdiction, leveraging more than $500 million in co-financing from other sources. This has included support to regional fisheries management organizations focused on migratory fish and other ocean life, as well as regional ocean governance institutions, and direct support to developing countries.

In the current four-year funding period known as GEF-8, which runs until 2026, the trust fund has allocated $34 million for work in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The GEF has also provided support for capacity building around the sustainable use of marine genetic resources under the Nagoya Protocol and has supported the creation or improved management of 1.4 billion hectares of marine protected areas with $370 million of grants.

More than 100 countries have received support from GEF programs focused on areas beyond national jurisdiction to date.

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Rihanna Hilariously Trolls Her Son

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Rihanna shares some new content of hers and A$AP Rocky’s adorable baby boy with a little trolling. The pop artist and Fenty Beauty founder is giving fans

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Elephant Man Tackles Violence Against Women In New Song ‘Mi Vex’

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Elephant Man is adding his voice to the ongoing dialogue calling for the ceasing of violence against women in the country. There has been a recent spate

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Charlamagne Declines Commenting On Angela Yee Statement, DJ Envy Speaks Out

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy is doubling down on his rebuttal and calls former host Angela Yee’s recent statement about her experience as the only female face on the show “cap.”

There’s been much back and forth since Yee’s statement on the Tamron Hall Show, where she spoke about being lumped together for comments or remarks made by the other hosts and being happy about having her own show where she faces accountability only for her actions.

Since Angela Yee’s comments, rapper Lil Mama and Erica Mena both accused her of being a hypocrite and attempting to take herself away from damaging discussions on the morning radio show because she now needs female audience support for her own show. Lil Mama, who was moved to tears during an interview, equally blamed Yee for laughing and participating in the incident that took place.

DJ Envy on Monday officially spoke on the matter during the Breakfast Club show.

“What she said wasn’t true. I can’t tell her how she can feel about being on the show cause’ on the show yeah, she’s correct it was me, Charlamagne and herself. But when it came to producers, there were so many different women who continued to work… I didn’t like that they put that the Breakfast Club doesn’t have women here, and doesn’t respect women’s views because that’s not true,” he said.

Envy said he felt upset about the comment as Yee made it sound as if no women worked at the show.

“There’s other people that work here who do a lot for the show. There are women here who continue to push me and Charlamagne to the next level. Charlamagne and I talk spoke about how important it is to have women in our lives, especially black women,” he said.

He added, “I didn’t want to diminish or take away from what these strong black women do for our show.”

Many social media users appeared to agree with Yee that the two male hosts, especially Charlamagne, have been disrespectful toward women, and some even felt that Yee was afraid to speak up.

When asked his thoughts on the matter, Charlamagne said, “Nothing.”

In the initial interview, Yee told Hall, “Sometimes I would feel like I got it harder than [Charlamagne Tha God] did for some things that he said. And so I also want to make it clear that we’re all three individuals. You say what you say, feel how you feel, and I do too. But it’s hard because people affiliate you with the whole group.

She continued, “I was the only woman who worked there too. I mean when it came to producers, camera people, and it wasn’t an easy room for me to be in. I feel like I did need more backup because even things that I felt, as a woman – if somebody can’t understand your point of view because they’re not coming from where you come from. So that was hard for me too, to be the only woman there.”

Yee later addressed the comments in a series of tweets on Saturday.

“Usually, I don’t comment or go back and forth with people but there’s too much spinning. “In the room” referred to the people in the studio: the producer, board op, videographer, and hosts. Yes, they are men. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing women who are execs, salespeople, interns, and in other departments. I’ve said this on many occasions: that it can be hard when your viewpoint is different based on your experience. I didn’t anticipate that this would cause such a firestorm. Everyone texting me “are you ok” (which I appreciate!) and I know I don’t normally take the time to overexplain because it drags things out even more but that’s all,” she posted.

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Shaggy’s Ex-Manager Exposes Financial & Legal Problems In Clearing His Name

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Shaggy’s former manager, Big Yard’s Robert Livingston, denies that he is the manager that Shaggy claims gave him an unfair deal while also improperly

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