World leaders acknowledged the “collective failure” of the past in the final declaration of the Ocean Conference and called for greater ambition to ensure the dire conditions of the oceans are addressed. The declaration candidly admits that it is “deeply alarmed by the global emergency facing the oceans”.
At the closing ceremony, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Miguel Deserpa Soares (Miguel de Serpa Soares) commends co-hosts Portugal and Kenya for making the conference a great success.
“[The meeting]gave us the opportunity to talk about key issues and generate new ideas. It also clarified the work ahead, and the need to scale up ocean restoration efforts,” said Deserpa Suarez. He stressed that the situation must now be turned around.
6000 Several participants attended the meeting, including 24 Heads of State and Government, and 2000 A number of civil society representatives. Together, they advocate for urgent and concrete action to address the ocean crisis.
collective failure
In the declaration, the leaders recognized the “failure to collectively achieve the goals related to the oceans” to date, and recommitted to urgent action and cooperation at all levels to fully achieve the goals as soon as possible.
Challenges facing the ocean include coastal erosion, sea level rise, warming and acidifying ocean water, marine pollution, overfishing of fish stocks and loss of marine biodiversity.
These high-level politicians gathered in Lisbon acknowledged that climate change is “one of the greatest challenges of our time” and that “decisive and urgent action must be taken to improve the health, productivity, sustainable use and resilience of oceans and their ecosystems”, And stressed that science-based innovative action and international cooperation are essential to provide the necessary solutions.
Leaders called for change, emphasizing the need to address the cumulative impacts of a warming planet on the ocean, including ecosystem degradation and species extinction.
renew commitment
Signatories of the declaration reaffirm that the oceans are vital to life on our planet and our future, emphasizing implementation 2015 the Paris Agreement and last year 11 The particular importance of the Glasgow Climate Agreement in January to help ensure the health, productivity, sustainable use and resilience of our oceans.
“We are committed to halting and reversing the decline in the health and biodiversity of marine ecosystems and protecting and restoring their resilience and ecological integrity,” the signatories said in the Lisbon Declaration.
“We call for an ambitious, balanced, practical, effective, robust and transformative 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework beyond the year 。
A resilient and healthy marine environment is fundamental to climate regulation and sustainable development, with the potential to produce food and energy for billions of people.
During the meeting,100 A number of member states have voluntarily committed to 2030 Conserved or protected “within a marine protected area” for at least 2 years 30% global oceans and other effective area-based conservation measures.
Voluntary commitments include:
- Depend on9The Protect Our Planet Challenge launched last year by private foundations and individuals arrive 2030 Year will invest at least 10 billion to support the creation, expansion and management of marine protected areas.
- As part of the Clean Seas Initiative, the European Investment Bank will add 1.5 billion euros to improve climate resilience, water management and solid waste management.
- Portugal pledges to ensure 2030 years to bring Portuguese sovereignty or jurisdiction 100% of marine areas are assessed as “Environmentally Good” and will 30% Classification of National Marine Areas.
- Kenya is currently developing an inclusive and multi-stakeholder national blue economy strategic plan. Kenya has also pledged to develop a national action plan on sea-based marine plastic litter.
- India has committed to a “Coastal Clean Ocean Campaign” and will work to ban single-use plastics.
At the closing ceremony, Deputy Secretary-General Deserpa Suarez said: “I am very impressed with the new commitments[by the country]. Commitments must be implemented on time and monitored”.
New commitments include：
- arrive 2030 year protection 30%or larger national marine area
- arrive 2040 year to achieve carbon neutrality
- reduce plastic pollution
- Increase the use of renewable energy
- Allocate billions of dollars for ocean acidification research, climate restoration projects, and monitoring, control, and surveillance
Image: © Rodrigo Cabrita
Participants at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
2030 years later
“2021-2030The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development aims to achieve the science we need for the oceans we want.
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is advancing the Decade with a mission to provide 2030 to generate and utilize knowledge for the transformational actions needed to achieve sustainable healthy, safe and resilient oceans in 2018 and beyond.
To this end, the Decade Framework aims to manage smarter oceans, restore fish stocks, and mobilize action for sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture for adequate, safe and nutritious food.
The 10-year framework also aims to reduce all forms of marine pollution from land and sea, working towards more effective marine protection; developing and implementing measures to adapt to climate change, reduce disaster risk and the impacts of sea-level rise, and reduce maritime transport of greenhouse gas emissions.
Recognizing that developing countries, especially SIDS and LDCs, face particular capacity challenges, political leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening data collection and strengthening cooperation at all levels to share knowledge.
Photo: UNDP/Pierre Michel Jean
Sustainable fisheries are improving livelihoods in Haiti.
after lisbon
Financing is another particular focus of the manifesto. The seven-page document states that innovative financing solutions must be found to drive the transition to a sustainable ocean economy and scale up nature-based solutions as well as ecosystem-based approaches to support coastal resilience, recovery and protection of ecosystems.
Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for the oceans, announced that the meeting proved that the blue economy is now an important part of the future security of humanity, and called for more financial resources to do so.
He said the secretary-general was pushing for consensus by describing the declaration as a “red alert for humanity”. Thomson further stated,2022 The year proved to be a “super year” and he called on young people to move forward in all discussions about the future of the ocean.
In an interview with UN News, Deserpa Suarez added that UN-Oceans was not the only focus of action on the oceans this year.
“Over the next few months, we will host several important events that provide many opportunities to showcase our commitment and ambition to turn the tide in support of ocean sustainability,” he said.
After the Lisbon Conference, the road to saving our oceans will continue to move forward, including the intergovernmental meeting for a treaty on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction,2020 Global Biodiversity Framework negotiations after 2010, and negotiations on increasing climate finance and adaptation action at the Climate Conference in Egypt.
UN News Photo/Eleuterio Guevane
Young volunteers supporting the Lisbon Sea Congress.
Empowering youth, women and indigenous peoples
Recognizing the important role of indigenous, traditional and local knowledge, and innovations and practices owned by indigenous peoples, and the role of social sciences in planning, decision-making and implementation, leaders called for the meaningful participation of local communities.
The declaration calls for “the empowerment of women and girls, whose full, equal and meaningful participation is essential to moving towards a sustainable ocean economy and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 14 the key to” and underscored the need to empower young people to understand and contribute to ocean health, including in decision-making, by promoting and supporting quality education and lifelong learning of ocean knowledge.
Conference calls for urgent, ambitious and coordinated action by stakeholders to accelerate achievement of SDGs 14and emphasizes “Restoring harmony with nature through healthy oceans is vital to the planet”.
Hope and Urgency
Suarez said he was encouraged by the renewed hope and urgency of the future ocean. “When we leave, we have to live up to our commitments,” he said.
“As the famous Tongan and Fijian writer Epili Howa (Epeli Hau‘ofa） In other words, we are the ocean. The ocean exists in all of us, it supports us, and it is the foundation of our future existence on Earth. “
The power of science
Echoing the focus on science at this week’s Ocean Conference, UNESCO released its State of the Oceans report today.
The report revolves around the initial “decade” 10 This challenge was built to provide new, illuminating data on the current state of the ocean.
Henrik Ernewaldsen, Head of UNESCO’s Marine Science Sector (Henrik Enevoldsen) said in an interview with UN News that the report complements the scientific work of the General Assembly and strengthens our ability to manage our oceans.
Referring to the meeting’s outcome, he said, “The conference highlights areas where we need to gain more knowledge in order to provide policy makers (and) with a proper foundation for better management of the ocean.”
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