Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed his ambition for Ireland to become a “leading nation” in shaping global maritime policy, reports RTE.
He made the remarks upon arriving in France to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which is being held in Nice and will run until Friday.
Marking ten years since the Paris Agreement, a key milestone from COP21 that aimed to curb global warming, this year’s UNOC3 is putting a spotlight on the world’s oceans. The event is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, reports RTE.
This week’s conference follows previous UN ocean gatherings held in New York in 2017 and in Lisbon in 2022.
This evening, the Taoiseach will be present at the launch of the conference’s ‘Green Zone’, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside over 60 other world leaders, reports RTE.
Tomorrow, Mr Martin will join a launch event for the European Ocean Pact, co-chaired by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Macron.
Adopted by the European Commission last week, the pact brings together several EU ocean-related policies under a single framework, aiming to assist member states in conserving and restoring marine ecosystems.
The Taoiseach explained that the pact will place focus on maritime policy and include measures that support sustainable economies in coastal regions and the promotion of renewable energy sources, reports RTE.
Additionally, it outlines a proposed European ocean law by 2027 that will include legislation targeting illegal fishing activities.
Later tomorrow, Mr Martin is scheduled to deliver Ireland’s national statement during the main plenary session of the conference.
He noted that the pact also puts emphasis on climate and biodiversity concerns and will enable the allocation of increased funding, reports RTE.
Mr Martin also welcomed the broad international participation, saying it represents a major step for multilateralism and expressed hope that the conference will result in a consensus to establish a protective framework for the oceans.
The event includes participation from world leaders, UN agencies, climate experts, scientists, business representatives and communities dependent on marine ecosystems for their livelihoods. It is widely regarded as a critical gathering for the future of ocean health, reports RTE.
Many marine experts are warning that the world’s oceans are approaching a critical tipping point.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
Years of damage from plastic waste, overfishing, seabed mining, coral bleaching, and climate change have severely impacted marine life and the wellbeing of coastal communities, especially in the Global South, reports RTE.
The oceans provide half of the planet’s oxygen and support the livelihoods of over three billion people who depend on marine biodiversity.
UN figures estimate that as much as 12 million metric tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans annually—the equivalent of one garbage truck’s worth of plastic every minute.
More than 60% of marine ecosystems are already deteriorated, and fish stocks have seen steep declines since the 1970s, reports RTE.
In fact, the share of global fish stocks within safe biological limits has fallen from 90% in the 1970s to just over 62% by 2021.
Rising sea temperatures also threaten ocean ecosystems. In April, global sea surface temperatures reached the second-highest levels ever recorded.
Severe coral bleaching is currently affecting large areas in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Pacific, reports RTE.
Li Junhua, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the conference, has warned that the oceans are experiencing “an unprecedent crisis”.
While various non-binding pledges have been made by governments to safeguard marine life, there is no single legal framework uniting these commitments, reports RTE.
A treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution in the ocean remains under negotiation, and a World Trade Organization deal to conserve fish stocks has not been fully enacted.
Last year, 21 countries ratified the so-called High Seas Treaty, which seeks to protect marine biodiversity in international waters, reports RTE.
That number has now grown to 32, with eight European countries among them: France, Finland, Hungary, Spain, Latvia, Norway, Slovenia, and Romania.
Although Ireland has signed the treaty, it has yet to ratify it, reports RTE.
To bring the treaty into force at the UN level, it still requires 60 ratifications.
Delegates supporting the treaty are hopeful that enough countries will sign on in Nice to push it over the threshold, reports RTE.
Throughout the five-day conference in Nice, hundreds of new commitments are anticipated from participating governments.
Organisers are aiming for countries to adopt the Nice Ocean Action Plan by Friday—a political declaration outlining the key promises for advancing ocean conservation and sustainable use, reports RTE.
During his time in Nice, Mr Martin will also hold several bilateral meetings, including with Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who previously led the US’s international climate efforts under President Biden, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
