Saving the ocean to protect our future

The time is now to scale up ocean action, for the sake of our lives and the future of our planet. This month, the global community will ‘set sail’ towards the 2022 UN Ocean Conference convened in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on 27 June - 1 July. The stakes are high, and the ambition is to turn the tide in favor of our blue planet.

Preparations for the event are in full swing and last month, UN Member States gathered at UN Headquarters in New York for a briefing about this pivotal milestone aimed at saving the ocean.

“Despite the progress made in ocean actions, the health of our ocean is still deteriorating fast, due to multi-dimensional challenges of pollution, overfishing and climate change,” said UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and Conference Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin.

“The outcome of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference will therefore be critical,” he stressed, adding that the Conference “will seek to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action”.

And a new chapter filled with innovations and actions is desperately needed. According to the new World Meteorological Organization (WMO) State of the Global Climate report released on 18 May, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification set new records in 2021.

Ahead of the event, young ocean advocates and activists have been sharing their concerns and hopes for positive change propelled by the UN Ocean Conference.

“When we think about climate change, we must think about the ocean because it is our biggest ally in fighting climate change,” said Ashlan Cousteau, journalist, TV host and ocean advocate. “I hope that the UN Ocean Conference this summer is going to remind the global community how important the ocean is.”

“What I’m concerned about now isn’t really the state of our ocean today, it’s the state of humanity’s interactions with it,” said Stephanie Shandorf, Associate Director of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute. “We need to first and foremost be aware of the immense role the ocean plays in supporting life systems,” she added.

“Every individual action is valuable but at this time we need to unite and work together as a team – young people, adults, scientists, IDLC, governments, women, everyone needs to get really involved in this,” encouraged Pamela Tapia, biologist and scientific diver.

“I hope to see action from young communities, young people that start their own initiatives that provide the working solutions that showcase and actually you know solve this crisis,” added Lefteris Arapakis, Co-founder of Enaleia, an organization aimed at making the marine ecosystem sustainable.

And the Conference will be all about boosting action, as it takes place under the theme of “Scaling up Ocean Action Based on Science and Innovation for the Implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, Partnerships and Solutions.” It will feature nine plenary meetings and eight interactive dialogues. There will also be special events focusing on youth, the sustainable blue economy, fresh- and saltwater interlinkages and on ocean action at local and regional levels, along with a number of side events.

In addition to the adoption of an action-oriented and inter-governmentally agreed declaration and a Conference report, there is also the ambition that many new commitments will be made, adding to the over 1,700 voluntary commitments registered via the online registry since the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017.

“I call upon all Governments to showcase your existing and new initiatives as voluntary commitments in the online registry […] to support the implementation of SDG14 in synergy with other ocean-related SDGs,” encouraged Mr. Liu.

Some have expressed that the future of the ocean will be decided in Lisbon. This may well be the case, and a chance the global community cannot afford to miss.

“It will offer an opportunity to give the ocean prime focus in the global efforts towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and our climate objectives,” Mr. Liu said.

“We need all hands on deck to navigate our way towards a healthy ocean. To save the ocean, for current and future generations.”

For more information:

2022 UN Ocean Conference.

Registrations for international stakeholders have been extended until 3 June 2022 and can be made here.

To register a voluntary commitment to help save our ocean, visit this page.

All official meetings will be broadcast live via UN Web TV.