The United Nations Ocean Conference 2022

The second United Nations Ocean Conference (UN Ocean Conference) 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, will be held from 27 June to 1 July 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. But what is this conference and why is it important?

The United Nations Ocean Conference is the conference dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. This global conference was created to mobilize actions for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources.

Why an entire conference dedicated to the ocean and maritime issues?

The ocean connects us all around the world. Its ecosystems, biodiversity of flora and fauna species, its abundance of resources and its energy are vital to the Earth. The health of the ocean is essential for the well-being of humanity and the entire planet, but human activity has deteriorated the ocean, even endangering our very existence.

Despite this, humans have mistreated the life-rich ocean to the point that approximately 40% of marine ecosystems have been damaged. For too long, it was believed that the ocean was infinite and unaffected by human activities. Scientists began to raise concerns about the health of the environment and the ocean as early as the 1970s, but only recently have these issues gained adequate political and media relevance.

The future effects on the planet’s ecosystem are not yet fully known, but the consequences for humanity are not positive. We are already starting to see and live with these consequences. Extreme weather events affect millions of people around the world, such as heat waves, droughts, heavy rains and floods. In every ocean basin, giant vortices of waste are circulating, accumulating on the ocean surface, in the water column and even in the deepest depths of the planet. Dead zones, hypoxic – with little or no oxygen – are expanding along our coasts and toxic algal and slime blooms are choking marine and coastal environments. Coral reefs, which support the life of many forms of coral, are bleaching, becoming lifeless graveyards.

This has led to habitat destruction and the loss of marine biodiversity. If this trend continues, marine life in general will be seriously threatened. All of these problems arise from human activities. It is therefore up to man to find solutions and implement concrete actions.

United Nations Ocean Conference – Lisbon 2022

This year’s United Nations Ocean Conference will be held in Lisbon from 27 June to 1 July, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal. The Conference comes at a critical time when the world is trying to address many of the deep-rooted problems in our societies, laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will require major structural transformations and common, shared solutions, anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals. To mobilize action, the Conference will seek to promote the necessary innovative, science-based solutions to open a new chapter in global ocean action.

It is worth mentioning the growing interest and importance of the field of Ocean Literacy in recent years. It has become clear that people care about what they love and love what they know: Ocean Literacy aims to promote and strengthen the emotional connection between the ocean and society, strengthening global efforts to protect the ocean and promoting behaviors that respect the ocean itself.

During the Conference, IOC-UNESCO organizes important events that provide the opportunity to unlock the knowledge needed to achieve the goal for the ocean we want.

Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the 2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda, adopted by the 193 Member States of the United Nations in 2015, is structured around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG14 aims to “Conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” by setting specific targets to conserve and sustainably use ocean basins and marine resources. SDG14 is the only globally agreed practical plan for the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources; its faithful implementation is therefore our best hope to remedy the ocean’s challenges.

The targets of SDG14 specifically highlight the need to work and improve in the following areas: marine pollution, conservation through marine protected areas, ocean acidification, regulation of fishing practices and increased research to advance scientific knowledge and awareness.

The First United Nations Ocean Conference – New York 2017

The First United Nations Ocean Conference was held in June 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, and was co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden. It brought together heads of state and government, civil society representatives, business leaders, stakeholders, academics, scientists and advocates for the ocean and marine life from over 150 countries.

This Conference was a decisive step in preparing for the start of the United Nations Decade of Marine Science for Sustainable Development. In particular, it promoted progress in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, a key part of the 2030 Agenda.

This first conference was a turning point in reversing the decline in ocean health, aiming for greater involvement of society, private companies, policy makers and stakeholders at large. Coordinated and effective action by new concrete partnerships has been – and still is – the key element to support SDG14 and to propose tangible solutions. The exchange of knowledge and expertise between different parties is an essential step towards sustainable development and the active restoration of our marine ecosystems.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, declared that decisive and coordinated global actions could solve the problems arising from human activity, appointing the Ambassador of Fiji, Peter Thomson, as Special Envoy for the Ocean. Peter Thomson underlined the importance of the conference: “If we want a secure future for species on this planet – including humans – we must act now on ocean health and climate change”.

The main elements pursued to restore the ocean were defined, aiming for a healthy, clean, resilient, predictable, safe and engaging ocean.

This first edition of the United Nations Ocean Conference was the first substantial step and the first call to action to get the science we need for the ocean we want.

Bibliography:

https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022

https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/ocean-conference-game-changer

https://www.undp.org/events/un-ocean-conference-2022

https://oceanconference.un.org/about

UNESCO PDF