UN Ocean Conference

Healthy oceans, coasts, and freshwater ecosystems are crucial for sustaining livelihoods and food production in coastal countries and communities, especially small island developing states where the connection to the oceans and food security is deeply intertwined.

The United Nations estimates that marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ more than 200 million people globally, and that more than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their nutritional needs. In many of the world’s poorest communities, fish are a central source of protein, micronutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids. But oceans have suffered a lot in the last fifty years. Decline of marine habitats and biodiversity due to pollution, particularly from plastics, the impacts of overfishing, and the impacts of climate change on the ocean in terms of sea level rise, ocean warming, and ocean acidification are the major issues confronting the world.

To take action in this regard, UN held its first ever such summit on oceans in June 2017 at NewYork. The Ocean Conference was designed to galvanize action to implement Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), adopted in 2015 by the U.N.’s 193 members to, among other things, significantly reduce ocean pollution by 2025, sustainably manage fisheries and coastal and marine ecosystems, minimize the impact of ocean acidification from climate change and protect 10 percent of the ocean in reserves by 2020. It aims to presents a platform for the world to reverse the precipitous decline of the health of the oceans and seas with concrete solutions.

The decline of the health of the world’s ocean has not been at the forefront of discussions, largely because the deterioration of the marine environment was taking place out of sight and underwater. The Ocean Conference worked to raise awareness about the decline of marine habitats and biodiversity due to pollution, particularly from plastics, the impacts of overfishing, and the impacts of climate change on the ocean in terms of sea level rise, ocean warming, and ocean acidification. Along with raising the issues, the Conference raised possible solutions also.

The conference provided the first platform for countries and engaged actors to chart the future for both sustainable marine development and the lives of citizens that benefit from the goods and services provided by the ocean.

The Call for Action, signed by 193 United Nations member states, consists of a range of long-term and robust strategies to protect coastal ecosystems, from enhancing sustainable fisheries management to reducing the use of plastics and microplastics. Countries agreed to develop and implement effective adaptation and mitigation measures that address the impacts of climate change on the ocean, such as sea-level rise and increase in ocean temperatures.

Recognizing that regenerating the world’s oceans will require action on all levels, the Ocean Conference created a register of voluntary commitments for non-governmental organizations, academic and research institutions, the scientific community, and the private sector, among others.

Commitments include various local, regional, national, and global projects geared at driving implementation of SDG 14, ranging from awareness campaigns on marine mammals to empowering young conservation leaders. With a growing list of more than 1,300 voluntary commitments, the online register remains open to catalyze additional action and for sharing best practices and experiences amongst groups. Conference concluded with a global Call for Action to reverse the decline of the ocean’s health, and more than 1,300 pledged actions for protecting the global resource.

However, Strong action to follow-up on the Conference is needed. Countries still need to agree on measures at the World Trade Organization to limit fishing subsidies that contribute to overfishing, and countries are still working on a new treaty to protect biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions. But there is still so much that has to be done right away, from curbing plastics from being dumped in the ocean, to protecting more marine areas, to taking action on climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement.

India’s stand:

India has over 7,500 km of coast, more than a thousand islands and with more than a third of Indians living along the coast, India is acutely aware of the challenges and opportunities that oceans represent – from sustainable fisheries to prevention and control of marine litter and plastic pollution, from affordable renewable energy to eco-tourism and early warning systems for disaster risk reduction and management, building resilience and adaptation to climate change.

India stressed that the 21st century will be shaped by the principles of equality and sovereignty and those who believe in discord have no place in a choir. The nations of oceans are often called small and India does not believe in small or big as every nation is sovereign. Capacities might vary, but all nations have equal rights .Thus seas cannot be turned into zones of contention, adding that secure and open sea lanes are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development.

Therefore world cannot allow the seas to turn into zones of contention. An age of shared prosperity demands co-operation and in this context, India reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation and over flight on the high seas, unimpeded lawful commerce, as well as resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea India continues to expand its development partnership, especially with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). India has committed a sum of 500 million dollars as grant-in-aid and a billion dollars in soft loans for its SIDS partners over the next three years. India also believes that there cannot be sustainable development without sustainable engagement among blue nations. The framework for such sustainable engagement needs to be reinforced. That the negative impact of overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change are becoming increasingly clear, and there is time for action which is already long overdue. India also stressed that fishermen deserve to be at the core of any action plan that is arrived at in global summits such as the Ocean Conference. World therefore must devise actionable means to improve their lives; to minimise the conflicts that arise from competition, and, most of all, end the exploitation that is often their fate. Rules, regulations and laws must serve the impoverished first.