At the opening of the ocean conference, Bennis, Guterres confirms: There is an opportunity to change in the face of the ocean crisis

This came in a speech delivered by Guterres today, Monday, at the opening of the United Nations Conference on the Ocean, which is hosted by the French city of Nice and organized by France and Costa Rica, and will continue until June 13, 2025.

The Secretary -General presented a detail of the increasing threats of oceans, including the collapse of fish stocks, excessive consumption and illegal fishing that pushes marine life towards the abyss, 23 million tons of plastic waste that enters water annually, and carbon pollution that causes ocean water, and deadly heat.

He also warned that “The rise in the water level of the sea floods the lands of the delta, destroys the crops, swallows the coasts, threatens the survival of many islands.”. He added that this “Symptoms of a defeated system”And it feeds on each other.

The Secretary -General highlighted the increasing insecurity, not only because of normal forces, but also because of criminal forces, adding: “Piracy, organized crime, human trafficking, and looting of natural resources threaten people’s lives, undermining development, and prohibiting coastal societies of their rights.”.

The effectiveness of pluralism

The Secretary-General of the United Nations talked about the progress made since the previous ocean conference in Lisbon, pointing to the global constituency for biological diversity, and the historical agreement on the marine biological diversity of areas outside the scope of the national jurisdiction.

Guterres said: “This proves the effectiveness of pluralism, but only if the sayings are associated with deeds, through tangible national plans that are in line with global goals, and by enabling fishermen, indigenous peoples, scholars and youth.”.

He indicated that Goal 14 from Sustainable development goals Which is “Life underwater”It is still one of the lowest sustainable development goals, stressing that it is “This situation must change, by increasing public financing, larger support than development banks, and bold models to unleash private capital.”He called on all countries to make bold pledges.

Hope to change the path

The Secretary -General of the United Nations called for “Promoting maritime security as a basic pillar for sustainable development”. He pointed out that the countries are also engaged in a new mining in the seas, adding that it supports the continuous work of the International Sea Authority on this important issue. The Secretary -General said that there is an opportunity to restore marine abundance, adding: “What was lost in one generation, can return in another generation.”.

He expressed his hope in “To be able to change the course of matters, and to be able to move from looting to protection, from excluding fairness, and from short -term exploitation to long -term care.”.

Declaration of peace with the ocean

More than 50 heads of state and government participated in the opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Line, in a review of the political force that emphasizes the importance of the summit. In total, more than 120 countries participate in this five -day gathering.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is participating in hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica, sent a strong invitation to science, law and multilateral determination.

And he said in his speech: “Greenland is not for sale, just as the Antarctic continent or the high seas is not for sale.Adding that he “If the Earth’s temperature rises, the ocean boils.”.

He stressed that the fate of the seas cannot be left to the markets or public opinion, saying: Therefore, the first response is pluralism. The climate, as is the biological diversity, is not an issue of opinion, but rather a matter of proven scientific facts. “.

Then the President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chavez Robles, spoke, as he thanked the Secretary -General of the United Nations for highlighting the importance of the ocean on the global agenda, then moved to a blatant warning, saying: “The ocean speaks to us with bleaching coral reefs, storms, and injustice Mangrov trees. There is no longer time for speeches. Now it is working time.”.

Chavez condemned contracts for dealing with the ocean as “An endless store and a global waste landfill”And urged the shift from exploitation to caring for the ocean. He said: “Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started. We are now declaring peace with the ocean.”.

He called for a temporary stop of mining in the depths of the seas in international waters so that science can adequately evaluate risk, a position that already supported 33 countries, he indicated.

Global agreements and new pledges

One of the basic goals of the summit is to help implement the Historical Seas Treaty that was adopted in 2023 to protect life in international waters. The treaty requires sixty ratification to become a binding international law. The French President announced that this achievement has become within reach.

He said: “In addition to about 50 certificates that were presented here during the past few hours, 15 countries have been officially committed to joining them. This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this treaty will be implemented properly.”. The French president added that whether the legal threshold is exceeded or shortly after, “It is a victory”.

The opening words showed that the city of Nice will be the scene of very important negotiations, regarding the final touches on a global agreement on plastic pollution, the expansion of ocean financing, and the treatment of the controversy over mining at the bottom of the sea. Hundreds of new pledges are expected to be announced, adding to more than 2000 a voluntary commitment that has been cut since the first United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017.

A week-long talks will be crowned with the adoption of a political declaration and the disclosure of the Nice Oceanic Action Plan, an action plan that is in line with the Kunming-Montreal global framework for historical biological diversity, an agreement concluded in 2022 to protect 30 percent of marine and land environmental systems by 2030.

On Sunday, a symbolic ceremony headed by Lee Gouhua, Undersecretary of the United Nations Secretary -General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Secretary -General of the Conference, was held, where the flags of France and the United Nations were raised.

Heritage, scientific and artistic touches at the opening

Before the start of the negotiations, the opening session witnessed a number of rituals, as the climate activist from the Paulisia region, Ludovic Burns Toki, celebrated the start of the summit by blowing what is known as “Bo”, a traditional conch shell.

He told the United Nations news after the ceremony: “It is a way to communicate with everyone. Blow with the support of our ancestors.”. In the Polynesian navigation, it is blown into the shell when reaching a new island to refer to the peaceful intention. Toyki, who is born in Tahiti, sees the parents of the islands of Tamoto and Easter, the ocean of borders and bonds at the same time.

He said: “We are not only countries, but we need to think as a collective system, because this is one ocean, one people, and a future for all.”.

The cultural part of the opening also included a speech by the Tahiti historian Henano Murphy, a presentation of martial arts presented by the French Tikoondo teacher, Olivier Sekard, and a scientific disclosure to explore the depths of the seas Ante Botius, and a poetic certificate of Mauritanian director Abdel Rahman Sisako, accompanied by the Coer player and Asa Quatati.

The goals of the conference are clear and ambitious, which are the promotion of the pledge of protecting 30 percent of the lands of the planet, coastal areas and inner water by 2023, enhancing sustainable fish traps, removing carbon from maritime transport, and opening new horizons for “blue financing”.

In addition to the general sessions, two high -level work sessions are witnessing two highly -level work sessions; One of them is about preserving and restoring marine ecosystems, including depths of the depths of the seas, and the other on enhancing scientific cooperation and exchanging technology and education to fill the gap between science and politics.