By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 20 June 2023 (IDN)— After years of negotiations, the United Nations has reached an agreement on a Global Ocean Treaty aimed at ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity which covers over two thirds of the world’s high seas. “You have pumped new life and hope to give […]
Strategies Grounded in Scientific Research: Restoring Marine Ecosystem
By UN Academic Impact (UNAI) NEW YORK, 12 April 2023 (IDN) — Covering more than 70% of the planet, the oceans are arguably Earth’s most powerful resource. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, close to six hundred thousand kilometers of coastline edge them, and almost one-third of the […]
A New UN Treaty Seeks to Protect One-third of World’s Oceans
By J Nastranis NEW YORK, 5 March 2023 (IDN) — After two weeks of tough negotiations at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction—better known by its acronym BBNJ—has agreed on a text to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of […]
A Tide of Pledges at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | LISBON (IDN) — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged to enable 100 coastal countries including all Small Island Developing States to realize the maximum potential of their blue economies through sustainable, low-emission and climate-resilient ocean action by 2030.
‘Ocean Action’ Vital for the Asian and Pacific Countries
Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). BANGKOK (IDN) — As the Second Global Ocean Conference opens today in Lisbon, governments in Asia and the Pacific must seize the opportunity to enhance […]
South Pacific Plans Coordinated Action at UN Ocean Conference
By Kalinga Seneviratne SUVA, Fiji (IDN) — This week, to coincide with the World Ocean Day (WOD) on June 8, South Pacific’s experts and stakeholders on the Oceans met here to plan coordinated action at the United Nations Oceans Conference starting in Lisbon on June 28. Speaking at a WOD event here on June 8, […]
The Oceans Are Overheating
By Robert Hunziker LOS ANGELES (IDN) — The world’s oceans in 2021 witnessed the hottest temperatures in recorded history. According to the Ocean Conservancy: “From the beginning of industrialization until today, the ocean has absorbed more than 90 per cent of the heat from human-caused global warming and about one-third of our carbon emissions. But […]
South Africa Insists on Dutch Shell Drilling in Home of Migrating Whales
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A South African court has greenlighted plans by Royal Dutch Shell to do seismic oil exploration in a pristine coastal stretch in an area known as “Wild Coast” in Port Edward over the strenuous objections of local environmentalists. Oceans Not Oil, which describes itself as […]
Indian Ocean Maritime Security and Regional Cooperation
Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira* COLOMBO (IDN) —Considering that half of the world’s container ships, one third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of the world’s oil shipments traverse through the Indian Ocean, the importance of the peace and security of the ocean cannot be overestimated. Furthermore, maritime transport and logistics are a […]
The Ocean Is Now in Need of Support
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) — “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” was the theme for World Oceans Day 2021 as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030. The importance […]