The Ocean & Climate Platform at the United Nations, with you !
The Ocean & Climate Platform and its members were highly mobilized for the United Nations Ocean Conference, June 5-9 2017, in particular with the organization of an official Side Event “ A healthy ocean, a protected climate” on June 7. With over 10 000 participants, ministers and heads of states and the entire ocean community, this successful conference demonstrates that the Ocean is now a major global priority, however mobilization to speed action up must continue. Feedback on this event.
The ocean is gradually settling in climate negotiations. The Ocean and Climate Platform is pleased about this progress however much more still remains to be done and climate urgency forces us to make quick progress. During this year’s United Nations Ocean Sustainable Development Goal conference our members organized over 40 side events to present our goals: the need for science, ecosystems resilient management, sustainable blue growth and also social issues such as migrations. We will continue to develop our actions in these areas.
– Françoise Gaill, Vice President and Scientific Coordinator of the Ocean and Climate Platform
“A Healthy Ocean, a protected climate”: watch the side event
On June 7, The Ocean & Climate Platform organized a Side Event about the connection between the Ocean Sustainable Development Goal and Ocean & Climate issues, in collaboration with the French Ministry for an Ecological and Inclusive Transition and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Click on the following links to re-watch the event : part 1 (starting at 11’), part 2.
The important element in this meeting was the necessity to work together, to collaborate. The ocean is something that unites us, it is a common good. We all depend on marine ecosystem services. We can only preserve them by working together, between various countries, several disciplines, private sector and public sector.
– Patricia Ricard, President of the Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard and spokesperson for the Ocean & Climate Platform
Watch again this message of hope on TV5 Monde with Serge Segura, French Ambassador in charge of oceans (in French).
Continue this mobilization about the connection between Ocean and Climate and the Sustainable Development Goals
This first United Nations Ocean Conference was a first major step toward the consideration of the ocean’s health in sustainable development; it reminded us of its implication in all areas of society.
– Romain Troublé, Executive Director of Tara Expeditions Foundation and Vice-President for international affairs of the Ocean & Climate Platform
This event took place a week after the United States President announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which casted doubt on the international community’s ability to reach the global warming 2° limit by 2100. This 2° limit is the only way to contain climate change impacts on the oceans and to let it continue its climate regulation action.
In order to limit the impacts of the global Superpower’s withdrawal, it is urgent for states and territories, cities and civil society of the United States and the 192 other signatory countries along with civil society to pursue their commitment to preserve oceans.
The Ocean & Climate Platform will remain beside States as they move into action, including with the mobilization of international Ocean and Climate initiatives gathered within the Ocean & Climate Initiatives Alliance which held its second meeting during the conference. We are also preparing for the upcoming climate negotiation deadlines, including COP23 in Bonn in November, to support the belief that a healthy ocean is a protected climate.