RI HOLDS WOC PREPARATORY MEETING

Jakarta, Feb 11 (ANTARA) - Indonesia which will host a World Ocean Conference (WOC-09) in May held a WOC preparatory meeting at the UN Headquarters in Geneva last Monday.
Sponsored by the UN Office in Geneva (UNOG) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the meeting was aimed at ensuring the success of the WOC-09 to be held in the Indonesian city of Manado, the Indonesian permanent representative to the UN in Geneva said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Manado conference is expected to adopt a Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD).
Also present at the preparatory meeting opened by interim Indonesian permanent representative Ambassador Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja were UNOG Director General Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze and WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud.
In his opening speech, Ordzhonikidze reiterated the UN commitment to handling the question of climate change, including its impact on the ocean.
He said the commitment was a manifestation of common responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Jarraud expressed his support to Indonesia's initiative to raise the issue of ocean in its agenda of climate change.
The WMO was ready to give substantive support to ensure the succesful discussion of ocean-related issues in the context of climate change, he said.