The Cowrie – SIDS Times Magazine Fall 2017 Online Edition – Back to Table of Contents
The high-level 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 took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, coinciding with World Oceans Day, to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development contains sustainable development goal (SDG) 14, which aims to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. SDG14 comprises 10 targets, among others, in the areas of marine pollution, marine and coastal ecosystem protection, ocean acidification, ending overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, economic benefits to SIDS and LDCs, and means of implementation.
Following the decisions of General Assembly resolutions 70/226 and 70/303, the high-level 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, the Ocean Conference, took place on 5-9 June 2017 at UN Headquarters. The Conference comprised of plenary meetings, partnership dialogues, a special event commemorating World Oceans Day, side events and exhibitions. Thousands of participants attended the Conference, including Heads of State and Government, other high-level representatives from Governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, as well as civil society, the scientific community, the business sector and other relevant stakeholders. Several SIDS made statements during the plenary sessions and partnership dialogues and organized side events and exhibitions.
The Conference raised global consciousness on ocean issues, produced strong ambitious outcomes, including an intergovernmentally agreed political declaration “Our ocean, our future: call for action”, the co-chairs’ summaries of the seven partnership dialogues, and 1,395 voluntary commitments from Governments, the UN system, IGOs, the Major Groups and other stakeholders – individually or in partnership – to advance the implementation of SD G 14 and related targets. The advance unedited version of the report of the Conference is available at the Conference website: https://oceanconference.un.org.
The political declaration “Our ocean, our future: call for action” was adopted by the General Assembly on 06 July 2017 through resolution A/71/L.74. In the Call for Action, Member States acknowledged that each country faced specific challenges in its pursuit of sustainable development, in particular least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and African States, including coastal ones, as do others recognized in the 2030 Agenda. They recognized the special importance of certain targets in Goal 14 for small island developing States and least developed countries. Member States also recognized that the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources required the necessary means of implementation in line with the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and other relevant outcomes, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
Follow-up
At the Conference, many delegations stressed that effective follow-up to the Ocean Conference will be critical to ensuring that all nations are working together to meet their SDG14 implementation obligations, inclusive of science, business and civil society. There was a call upon the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to support the implementation of Goal 14 in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular by enhancing interagency coordination and coherence throughout the United Nations system on ocean issues, taking into consideration the work of UN- Oceans. In the Call for Action, Member States agreed on the follow up to the Ocean Conference, among others, with regards to voluntary commitments and input to the high-level political forum (HLPF). Subsequently, session 12 on SDG14 was held on 13 July as part of the 2017 HLPF meeting (see https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf for more information).
Secretary-General Appoints Peter Thomson of Fiji Special Envoy for Ocean
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Peter Thomson of Fiji as his Special Envoy for the Ocean, aiming at galvanizing concerted efforts to follow up on the outcomes of the United Nations Ocean Conference in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, maintaining the momentum for action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Mr. Thomson will lead the United Nations advocacy and public outreach efforts inside and outside of the United Nations system, ensuring that the many positive outcomes of the Ocean Conference, including the close to 1,400 voluntary commitments, are fully analysed and implemented. He will also work
with civil society, the scientific community, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders to coalesce and encourage their activities in support of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. Read More