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IISD Daily Coverage on the Ocean Conference
Additional coverage in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
Building Communities of Ocean Action on Marine pollution
6 Dec 2017
At The Ocean Conference, held in June 2017 at UN headquarters in New York to further implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 aimed at conserving and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources...
Check the new Ocean Action Newsletter
3 Oct 2017
On 12 September 2017, Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st session of the General Assembly, as his Special Envoy for the Ocean.
The UN follows up on the Ocean Conference Voluntary Commitments for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14
7 Sep 2017
In June 2017, at The Ocean Conference, 193 Member States of the United Nations committed to a set of ambitious measures that will begin the reversal of the decline of the ocean’s health. The Conference outcome document - Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action - together with close to 1,400 voluntary commitments for concrete action made by governments, the United Nations system, civil society organizations, academia, the scientific community, and the private sector, marked a global breakthrough in the management and conservation of the ocean, and for advancing implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).
IISD Coverage: Daily Highlights of the Ocean Conference
8 Jun 2017
On Wednesday, plenary continued the general debate. Member States drew attention to institutional developments for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; highlighted commitments to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to increase coverage of marine protected areas (MPAs) in their territorial waters; and stressed the importance to fully implement the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and proceed with subsidies’ reform.
Lighting FAO blue to mark World Oceans Day
8 Jun 2017
World Oceans Day was an idea that arose at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was adopted by a United Nations General Assembly Resolution in 2008.
It is celebrated each year on 8 June, and this year’s theme is “Our oceans, Our future.”
Ocean Conference Newsletter May 2017
15 May 2017
Member States, NGOs, academic institutions, businesses, philantrophies, civil society organizations, the scientific community and UN entities continue their mobiliziation to accelerate efforts to #SaveOurOcean
The UN celebrates first ever World Tuna Day
2 May 2017
Many countries depend heavily on tuna resources for food security and nutrition, economic development, employment, government revenue, livelihoods, culture and recreation.
Press Release: 80 commitments received to date
25 Apr 2017
A growing number of countries, businesses and civil society groups are stepping forward with new commitments to improve the health of the world’s oceans in advance of The Ocean Conference that will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5-9 June.
Making commitments to save our ocean
11 Apr 2017
Healthy oceans are critical for sustaining life, eliminating poverty and promoting prosperity. The time is now to move from words to actions to conserve and sustainably use our oceans, seas and marine resources.
UN announces first-ever World Ocean Festival
11 Apr 2017
The UN announced that the inaugural World Ocean Festival will kick off the week-long event, with activists and enthusiasts taking to the streets – and waterways – of New York City to raise their voices to reverse the declining health of our oceans
Blog: treasure or tragedy – our ocean commons
23 Mar 2017
The sea was a bit too choppy for my liking. But there was a volcano erupting inland. The sea looked like a safer option! I took the plunge and jumped off the boat with my snorkel and fins.
Around me was a new world. So serene, so many layers...
Healthy oceans are needed for a sustainable future
20 Mar 2017
Yet mankind has put the oceans at risk of irreversible damage. Overfishing, ocean acidification, increasing pollution, unsustainable coastal development, and the unwanted impacts of extracting resources have resulted in a decreasing abundance of marine species as well as decreasing economic benefits to small island developing States and Least Developed Countries.