Protecting our oceans is everyone's business
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From June 9-13, France will host the third United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development (UNOC, or United Nations Ocean Conference). For this vitally important event, some 100 heads of state and government will converge, as well as tens of thousands of researchers, scientists, activists, and citizens from around the world. On this occasion, France's aim will be clear: protecting the oceans through tangible action.
The oceans belong to all of us. They feed and protect our peoples. They inspire dreams and enable travel. They offer sustainable energy, the means to trade, resources, and infinite scientific knowledge.
One in three people rely on the oceans for their livelihood, yet the oceans are in danger. They remain little known, with neither global governance nor the financing needed for their preservation. The numbers are worrying: More than 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year, according to a study in Science. More than one third of fish stocks suffer overfishing, while ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and the destruction of marine ecosystems increases, as direct consequences of climate change.
We must act now. We must make sure that multilateral action is equal to the challenges of protecting the oceans.
Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, which established a binding global framework to limit climate change, the third UN Ocean Conference is a historic opportunity. The 'Nice Ocean Agreements' will form a genuine international compact for conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, fully in line with the sustainable development goals adopted by the UN in 2015.
To this end, the talks in Nice need to be very hands-on and action-focused, aiming for better governance, more financing, and greater knowledge of the seas.
When it comes to governance, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or the BBNJ Agreement, is essential. The high seas, which represent more than 60 percent of the oceans, are currently the only space not governed by international law. The lack of oversight and common rules is causing a real social and environmental disaster, with massive hydrocarbon and plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing techniques, and the taking of protected mammals. To end this legal vacuum, we need the BBNJ Agreement to be ratified by 60 countries so as to come into force.
Saudi Arabia is a major stakeholder and a strategic partner when it comes to preserving the oceans.
Patrick Maisonnave
The protection of the oceans also requires public and private financing, and support for a sustainable blue economy. To continue enjoying the incredible economic opportunities offered by the oceans, we need to make sure marine resources can regenerate. In Nice, several commitments will be announced for global trade, shipping, tourism, and investment.
Lastly, how can we protect what we know not — or know insufficiently? We need to enhance our knowledge of the oceans and share it more widely. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the moon or of Mars, but the depths of the oceans — which cover 70 percent of Earth's surface — remain unknown. Together, we need to put science, innovation, and education in order to better understand the oceans and raise public awareness.
In the context of ever faster climate change and overexploitation of marine resources, the oceans are not just one more issue: They are everyone's business. We must not forget our shared responsibility in the context of challenges to multilateralism. The oceans join us all together and are central to our future. Together, we can make the third UN Ocean Conference a turning point for our peoples, for future generations and for our planet.
France will be delighted to welcome Saudi Arabia, along with more than 100 countries, to tackle those challenges together. Saudi Arabia has more than 2,600 km of coastline and is located at the crossroads of three continents. In the framework of Vision 2030, the sea is an incomparable resource for diversifying the economy: connectivity, transport and logistics, tourism, fisheries, and many more. The sustainable use of this resource is strategic.
The Saudis have shown their determination to implement policies in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14: Establishing regulatory agencies to protect biodiversity; enforcing regulations on fisheries; increasing the number of protected areas in line with the Kunming-Montreal Protocol; and supporting scientific data collection and research.
We must take action together to make the third UN Ocean Conference a turning point, and allow the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement. Saudi Arabia is a major stakeholder and a strategic partner when it comes to preserving the oceans, seas, and marine resources, and ensuring that they are used in a sustainable way. Its commitment will be decisive.
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