NEW YORK: The adoption by most nations of the world of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 40 years ago, was a “vital step to bring governance and order” to the vast collective treasure that is the ocean, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday.
“The ocean is life. The ocean is livelihoods and the ocean binds humanity together across history and cultures”, the UN chief told a General Assembly meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention.
He highlighted the breadth of the accord, spanning from “the air we breathe, to the atmosphere that sustains all life, to the ocean-based industries that employ some 40 million people, to the species that call the ocean home.”
Among the key provisions of the Convention are the conservation of the world’s fisheries, marine protection, the right to resources within 200 nautical miles of national shorelines, and of increasing importance, the sustainable and equitable management of mineral-related activities in international waters.
“As we gather today, the Convention is more relevant than ever. The ocean is in dire straits”, the UN chief warned.
He said around 35 per cent of the world’s fisheries are simply being over exploited. Sea levels are rising as the climate crisis continues, and “the ocean is acidifying and choked with pollution.”
Coral reefs are bleaching, “epic floods” threaten coastal cities everywhere, and too often, “people working in ocean-based industries are not accessing the support or safe working conditions they need and deserve.”
Greater ambition is needed he told delegates, and the anniversary should be “an important reminder to continue using this critical instrument to tackle today’s challenges.”
He said the recently adopted Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies needed to be adopted swiftly, ensuring that all policies towards the ocean are “underpinned by the best science, and the best economic and social expertise.” – Agencies
