Highlights for Monday, 10 June 2019
L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General, Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS); Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Co-Chair Isabelle Picco, Monaco; Dmitry Gonchar, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS
The twentieth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-20) opened on 10 June 2019 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme, “Ocean Science and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.”In the morning, delegates adopted the meeting agenda and programme of work for ICP-20, to be co-chaired by Isabelle Picco (Monaco) and Pennelope Althea Beckles (Trinidad and Tobago). They heard opening remarks from:
Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, who said the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development provides an opportunity to recognize the value of ocean science in eradicating poverty and supporting blue economy;
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) who highlighted the 2020 High-Level UN Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG14 (life below water) as an opportunity to scale up ocean action based on science and innovation; and
Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General, Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), who emphasized the important role of traditional knowledge in enhancing the effectiveness of ocean science.
During the general exchange of views, delegates highlighted: the importance of addressing data gaps and gender imbalances in ocean science; ensuring long-term partnerships with developing countries; and ensuring science literacy.Delegates then participated in a panel discussion on scope and uses of, and gaps in, ocean science, which included presentations on:
the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development;
the global status of ocean science;
ocean science and human health;
deep sea biological processes; and
ocean science in support of sustainable fisheries.
During the afternoon break, delegates attended a side event on “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development,” hosted by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily web updates from the 20th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis report of the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel
Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General, UN-OHRLLS
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UNDESA
Co-Chair Isabelle Picco, Monaco
Fred Sarufa, Papua New Guinea
Craig McLean, US
Andrea White, Canada
Kane Amandus, Nauru
Milind Wakdikar, India
Panel Discussion on “Scope and Uses of, and Gaps in, Ocean Science”
Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission of UNESCO (IOC)
A slide from Vladimir Ryabinin’s presentation
Panelists during the afternoon session
John Agard, St. Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Trinidad and Tobago
Hervé Raps, Monaco Scientific Center, Monaco
Francisco Werner, NOAA, US
Slide from presentation by Francisco Werner, US
Silvana Birchenough, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
John Brincat, EU
Delegates from Haiti during discussions in the afternoon
Panelists from the side event on “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.”
Delegates at the end of the first day of ICP-20