By Helen Clark,

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy reminds us once again of the destructive potential of extreme weather—even in a developed country such as the United States, and even with ample warning and swift emergency response. From Kingston, Jamaica to Jamaica, Queens, this “perfect storm” exacted a deadly toll that New York’s mayor said was even higher as a result of climate change.

The Ocean was supposed to be a priority area for the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development held in late June 2012 – marine scientists and campaigning organizations, as well as the European Union and many nations echoed the call for a treaty to protect the high seas. Although the final declaration did contain some strong words on issues such as combating illegal fishing, better managing fisheries and phasing out harmful government subsidies - how much progress was actually made for what effectively constitutes 70 % of the planet? Mona Samari who attended the summit assesses.