UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments and people to play their part to ensure that the world’s oceans are protected for future generations.
In a statement issued to mark World Oceans Day this week, Mr Ban outlined what he called “many severe challenges related to oceans.”
“These range from depleted fishery resources, the impacts of climate change and the deterioration of the marine environment to maritime safety and security, labour conditions for seafarers and the increasingly important issue of migration by sea,” he said.
“All activities and policies related to oceans and the marine environment need to acknowledge and incorporate the three pillars of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. Only then can we achieve the development objectives set by the international community.
“I urge governments and all sectors of society to embrace our individual and collective responsibility to protect the marine environment and manage its resources in a sustainable manner for present and future generations.”
Echoing the Secretary-General’s comments, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said: “Knowledge of oceans has long been driven by the need to access and exploit their resources. This must change. The challenge today is to use marine science to understand and protect oceans, in order to better manage their ecosystems and biodiversity for present and future generations.”
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) marked World Oceans Day by launching a report calling for new partnerships to ensure sustainable development for marine and coastal environments.
Taking Steps toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management: An Introductory Guide states that closer partnerships between different marine users – such as fishing communities, the tourism industry and conservationists – can also help coastal communities become better prepared for natural disasters and the impacts of global warming, such ocean acidification and changes in sea levels.
The report explains in simple language how sharing knowledge and best practices across different sectors can make marine management more effective, and offers guidance using over 20 case studies and success stories, ranging from polar ecosystems in Antarctica to atolls in the Indian Ocean.
