It was an honour to address the closing ceremony of Cabo Verde’s Fifth Ocean Decade Conference in Boa Vista, alongside President José Maria Neves. Small Island Developing States are on the front line of rising sea levels, coastal erosion and marine pollution. Their experience and leadership must remain central to the global ocean agenda. Through @UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, we are strengthening ocean science, observation and monitoring and early-warning systems. A sustainable blue economy must create prosperity while protecting the ecosystems and communities on which it depends.

In Boa Vista, alongside President Neves, I was pleased to visit the Museum of Underwater Archaeology and a @UNESCO temporary exhibition on underwater cultural heritage. Our collaboration has contributed to the creation of two underwater archaeological parks, in Santiago and Boa Vista, the opening of this Museum in 2023, and the training of young professionals in underwater archaeology. This work demonstrates how science, heritage and education can come together to deepen our understanding of the past, strengthen local expertise and create new opportunities for communities. Underwater cultural heritage is part of our shared history. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, protecting this heritage also means ensuring that knowledge is preserved, transmitted and used to support sustainable development for future generations. #ForThePeople