UN conference in Nice wants historical agreement for the oceans at the Paris to the Climate Agreement.
It is marked today, June 8, the a date created by the United Nations to remember the vital role that the ocean in life on the planet – from the oxygen we breathe to climate regulation, through food and subsistence means to thousands of millions of people.
This year, the date is marked with the theme “Catalyze actions for our ocean and climate ” With a clear appeal to transformation: it is necessary to act now to protect this essential and deeply threatened ecosystem.
Main threats to the oceans
The United Nations warns that the “Ocean Crisis” has been intensified and requires an urgent and global response.
“We want an operational action plan, where countries are committed to concrete measures to protect the ocean, ”said the French ambassador in the United Nations, Jérôme Bonnafont.
The conference will culminate with the adoption of Nice’s statement for action in the oceana political document that, although not binding, will seek to reflect the international consensus on topics such as Marine biodiversity, financing, governance and pollution combat.
In addition, the so -called Nice’s action plan for the oceanbringing together voluntary commitments from countries. The pressure is so that this time “there is zero of rhetoric and maximum results”, as summarized the Ambassador of Costa Rica in the UN, Maritza Chan.
One of the central themes of the meeting will be the Ratification of the Treaty of the High Seaa legally binding international agreement, signed in 2023 after two decades of negotiations, which aims to protect marine biodiversity in International Waters – About 70% of the planet’s surface.
Portugal has already ratified the treaty and should continue to defend its entry into force, which will only happen when 60 countries have done so (so far, 29).
This year is expected in Nice a record number of world leaders: about 80 heads of state and governmenttwice those at the previous conference in Lisbon in 2022. Among the notorious absences will be that of the United States, whose current president, Donald Trump, continues to keep the country away from the Paris Agreement.
Portugal is leader on some fronts
Portugal is pointed out as leader on some frontsas highlighted to Lusa Tiago Pitta and Cunha, from the country approved in March a moratorium on deep sea mining by 2050in waters under national jurisdiction.
But the environmentalist Francisco Ferreira, president of warn that “Changes have been too slow” and “this transition from paper to practice must be resolved”.
Although the country is well positioned in legislative terms, Still late in the creation of protected sea areas– For example, at the mouth of the Sado or the Azores, where there are proposals that may even retreat the existing protection.
With the urgency to increase and the time running out, the oceans are still waiting for firm appointments. World Ocean Day and Unoc3 are, for many,a possible turning point. But, as Francisco Ferreira recalled, “We are going to the third conference and there has not been done for a long time.”
