UN seeks ideas to use marine resources, reduce pollution
UNB
The United Nations (UN) wants Bangladesh to come up with positive ideas on how they can conserve and sustainably use ocean resources staying away from pollution, reports UNB. Were asking you to come to the conference with positive ideas about how were going to conserve and sustainably use ocean resources, UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson told UNB ahead of the Ocean Conference.
The high-level UN conference titled Ocean Conference to support the implementation of sustainable development goal 14: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from June 5 to June 9.
The five-day event will be coinciding with World Oceans Day to support the implementation of SDG 14. The governments of Fiji and Sweden have the co-hosting responsibilities of the conference.
Peter Thomson said a country like Bangladesh has got huge challenges of sea-level rise and also has huge pollution challenges because of river systems entering into the Bay of Bengal. Were asking you to come up with your idea of sustainability as to how youre going to control that.
Responding to another question, Peter Thomson said Bangladesh, on regional aspect, will have to get its regional thinking together with regional partners as well.
Before joining the conference, he also suggested Bangladesh to have a good look at the Clean Seas global campaign on marine litter by United Nations Environment Programme from which Bangladesh can get a lot of good ideas.
Plastic is one of your concerns, said the UN General Assembly President who has been Fijis Permanent Representative to the United Nations since February 2010.
The conference aims to be a gamechanger that will reverse the decline in the health of ocean for people, planet and prosperity, said the organisers adding that it will be solutions-focused with engagement from all.
It will identify ways and means to support the implementation of SDG 14, build on existing successful partnerships and stimulate innovative and concrete new partnerships to advance the implementation of Goal 14.
The conference will involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together governments, the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organisations and other actors to assess the challenges and opportunities relating to, as well as actions taken towards, the implementation of the Goal 14. The conference shall comprise plenary meetings, partnership dialogues and a special event commemorating the World Oceans Day.
It will adopt by consensus a concise, focused, inter-governmentally agreed declaration in the form of a Call for Action to support the implementation of the Goal 14 and a report containing the co-chairs summaries of the partnership dialogues, as well as a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14, to be announced at the conference.
