Summary
On Thursday morning, plenary celebrated the World Oceans Day. Noting that the ocean makes Earth unique in the solar system, Co-President Isabelle Lövin said World Oceans Day celebrates our dream of a healthy and productive ocean. UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson said World Oceans Day also celebrates our awareness of the need to “right the wrongs” we have done to the ocean. Noting more than 1,000 voluntary commitments submitted, he said the conference is a turning point towards protecting the ocean for posterity. Plenary heard from scientists, ocean researchers, filmmakers, activists, conservationists, private entrepreneurs and community and youth representatives on initiatives to reverse ocean degradation.
In the afternoon, plenary continued the general debate. Member States showcased efforts to expand coverage of marine protected areas (MPAs) and reduce or ban single-use plastics, regional initiatives, and innovative financial mechanisms for sustainable ocean management. Many called for timely completion of the negotiations for an international legally binding instrument on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
A partnership dialogue was devoted to increasing scientific knowledge, and developing research capacity and transfer of marine technology. Participants addressed, among other issues, the need for: well-funded, independent research, and better use and transfer of existing technologies; science to defend long-term societal interests; understanding marine ecosystems’ and species’ responses to climate change; science-based policy making; and capacity building and technology transfer, according to developing countries’ needs, rather than externally identified priorities.
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Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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World Oceans Day
A band from Fiji opened the celebrations of the World Oceans Day 2017
Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Fiji
Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden
Fabien Cousteau, aquanaut, ocean conservationist, and documentary filmmaker
Brian Skerry, photographer and photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments
Sylvia Earle, marine biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer
Aulani Wilhelm, Polynesian Voyaging Society
Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel
Iain Kerr, CEO, Ocean Alliance
Scott Bolton, NASA
Leonardo DiCaprio intervened with a video message
Live from Paris with UNESCO Youth
From L-R: Budi Setiawan, Founder, Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung Coastal Community Group; Diego Luna, actor, producer and director; and Fatou Janha, Executive Director, TRY Oyster Women's Association
Ellen Cuylaerts, conservationist, and underwater and wildlife photographer
Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group
Cady Coleman, chemist and former NASA astronaut
Chris Jordan, artist and photographer
Yōhei Sasakawa, Chairman, The Nippon Foundation
Eric Liedtke, Adidas
Karan Jerath, Young Leader for the SDGs
Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Founders, Bye Bye Plastic Bali
Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, Fiji
Youth from UNESCO World Heritage sites
Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Plenary Session
View of the dais during the plenary session
Aubrey Webson, Ambassador to the UN, Antigua and Barbuda
Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, Permanent Representative to the UN, Brazil
Marc-André Blanchard, Permanent Representative to the UN, Canada
Besiana Kadare, Permanent Representative to the UN, Albania
Rhonda King, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative to the UN, Tunisia
Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer to the UN, Palestine
Partnership Dialogue 6: Increasing scientific knowledge, and developing research capacity and transfer of marine technology
Co-Chairs Héctor Soldi, Vice Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Peru, and Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland
Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO
Patricia Andrea Miloslavich de Klein, Simón Bolivar University
Amos Barkai, Co-Owner and CEO, OLSPS, South Africa
Mark Abbott, Director and President, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Co-Chair Héctor Soldi, Vice Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Peru
Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
Co-Chair Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland
View of the room during the partnership dialogue
