Trevor Manuel, Co-chair of the Global Ocean Commission (GOC), and Simon Reddy, Executive Secretary to the Commission, attended meetings at the Vatican last week to discuss the Commission’s vision for stronger governance and protection of the high seas. The Commission, which is due to report its findings to the United Nations later this year, is housed at Somerville.
The GOC delegation spent three days at the Vatican. Their visit opened with a meeting with Cardinal Turkson, Chair of the Pope’s Council on Justice and Peace. It is hoped that these discussions will feed into the Pope’s own encyclical on the Church and the Environment.
“It was a great honour to meet the Holy Father and to elicit his support for the potentially transformative work of the Commission,” said Simon Reddy, Executive Secretary.
The delegation also met with Pope Francis, as well as with Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States. More details about the visit can be found on the Global Ocean Commission website.
The Somerville Magazine 2014 also reported on the work of the Commission, and the involvement of a handful of Somerville students. An e-version of the Magazine can be accessed here.
More details of the GOC’s visit, together with photos, can be viewed on the Commission’s website.