Summary
23 January 2023 at The Ocean Race Summit in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, over 300 representatives of government, science, NGOs, sailing teams, businesses and other national and international institutions, including Secretary General António Guterres, Prime Minister António Costa of Portugal, Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, former President of the Seychelles Danny Faure, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Isabella Lövin gathered for a discussion on ocean health and concluded by issuing The Mindelo Declaration, which states: “that the Ocean has the inherent right to exist, thrive, and regenerate its vital cycles, to integral health, diversity, and restoration and is revered by many as a source of spiritual and cultural sustenance with whom we have responsibilities to respect and care for” and urged all nations “to recognise the inherent rights and intrinsic value of the ocean, and to support a future decision on a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.”
The declaration also stresses “the inclusion and respect for diverse values, knowledge and practises, including many Oceanic and Indigenous peoples worldviews, such as those of Cabo Verde” and the need to restore a balance in human relationship with the Ocean (2).