PGA urges to protect the ocean, ensure its health and longevity

Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged communities across the globe to protect the ocean and ensure its health and longevity.

He said this in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2022 UN Oceans Conference on Monday, where he spoke extensively on the concrete, demonstrable action required to underscore the commitment to save the ocean, to protect it against the threats - both human-driven and otherwise - that would “take it away from us”.

The PGA noted that the ocean being an essential part of life on this planet is an inescapable reality for him as a person and as a Maldivian, adding that for small islanders, coastal residents, workers dependent on tourism and coral reefs, fisherpersons and for all those who turn to the ocean for livelihood, for reprieve, and for enjoyment, this reality rings true.

Highlighting that beyond those who look to the blue horizon each day, the entirety of humanity relies upon the ocean for half of the oxygen that people intake, the PGA said that the ocean connects communities across the globe.

He added that the ocean connects humanity and the planet, adding that there is no context communities across the globe can live without it.

Stressing that the ocean conference came at a “critical” and “timely” opportunity, Shahid noted that on one hand the ocean faces countless threats from climate change to plastic pollution and from over-fishing to acidification and that on the other hand there is momentum.

PGA Shahid stated that the 40th anniversary of the UN Convention on Law of the Sea has reiterated the shared responsibility for the ocean, adding that recent efforts such as the landmark agreement on ending plastic pollution and the new World Trade Organization deal on fisheries subsidies, gives cause for hope.

Further, Shahid said that there is optimism towards an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

He noted that solid partnerships across all stakeholders are being established and “strengthened”, as observed at the Our Ocean Conference in Palau earlier this year.

With this being said, he highlighted how there is a strong foundation to build upon and how the ocean conference can set the tone for what needs to be done.

PGA Shahid urged the global communities to not fall prey to shortsightedness or lack of ambition, to invest in, trust in, and act upon science.

Shahid, who also serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, also urged the people to protect the ocean, leverage its “power”, relish its “beauty”, cherish its “diversity” and ensure its “health” and “longevity” in order to save it.