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UN calls for the collective global protection of oceans

Monday, September 6th 2010 - 05:26 UTC
Full article 2 comments
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Highlighting the centrality of the marine environment to human well-being, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the collective global responsibility to protect the world’s oceans.

“We need to preserve the productivity and essential ecosystem functions of the oceans as a basis for a prosperous and sustainable future for all,” he told the Pacem in Maribus XXXIII International Conference on Oceans, held in Beijing, China.

In a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Patricia O’Brien, Mr. Ban noted the theme of this year’s Conference, “Oceans, Climate Change and Sustainable Development,” spotlights just how important oceans are and the many benefits that are derived from them.

Oceans – which cover about two-thirds of the Earth’s surface – generate most of its oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and nutrients, regulate climate, and supply fishing and other marine resources for income.

“Perhaps most significant is the role that oceans play in regulating the global climate – generating oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said the Secretary-General.

He pointed out that among those on the front lines of climate change are coastal communities, particularly people living in small islands developing States.

“Halting the decline of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and sea grasses, can help to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change while providing numerous social and economic benefits to hundreds of millions of people,” he said.

As the world is becoming increasingly aware, he noted, the many benefits of the oceans to human well-being are not limitless and, in some cases, are in peril.

Mr. Ban said that with so many people depending on the oceans, it is vital to pursue universal participation in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Known as the world’s “constitution for the oceans,” the treaty provides the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.

In 2008 the General Assembly decided to make World Oceans Day, which was already celebrated by many countries, into an officially-recognized UN annual observance on 8 June to raise global awareness of the threats to the oceans.
 

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  • briton

    hard one this,, stop the argies from the sea, all will be well, lolol
    that apart, it will take more than this man to stop the human race from poluting the seas, but i do agree we need to do something .

    Sep 06th, 2010 - 09:31 pm 0
  • harrier61

    Let's see. Britain sets aside Marine Conservation Areas. It requires people over whom it has direct control to pay proper attention to conservation. It encourages people over whom it has no direct control to do the same.
    So we're doing our bit. Then there are others who cut down hundreds of square miles of forest, pollute rivers, are careless of fish stocks. These are the people who should be fined hundreds of billions of pounds until they learn that they must consider others.

    Sep 06th, 2010 - 10:25 pm 0
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