What to expect on second day of Lisbon UN oceans conference
The flagship meeting, co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya, ends on Friday and aims to boost countries' action to protect the oceans.
The UN Lisbon Oceans Conference enters its second day on Tuesday with sessions on sustainable economy and conservation of marine ecosystems, side events on the regulation of the law of the sea and “blue tourism” and an “ocean pledge”.
The flagship meeting, co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya, ends on Friday and aims to boost countries’ action to protect the oceans.
The programme for the second day of work includes discussion sessions on sustainable ocean-based economies, in particular for small island developing states and least developed countries, and on management and conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, and the minister of economy and the sea, António Costa Silva, participate in a leaders’ lunch as part of the high-level panel for a sustainable ocean economy.
Former president and prime minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmão and the executive secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Zacarias da Costa, will be at a side event on the regulation of the law of the sea.
Side events also extend to tourism in the blue economy, energy transition and green shipping and cooperation. Portugal’s minister for the environment and climate action, Duarte Cordeiro, is the “host” of an initiative dedicated to cooperation between Portugal and Argentina in combating pollution of the seas through environmental education.
This Tuesday will also be launched, with the presence of the UN Under-Secretary-General, Usha Rao-Monari, the “Ocean Promise of the United Nations Development Programme”, which aims to support the recovery of socio-economic losses caused by poor ocean management.
Outside Lisbon, in Estoril, the Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum takes place.
The UN Lisbon Oceans Conference brings together world leaders, scientists, leaders of non-governmental organisations, academics and business people, as well as representations from UN member states, under the theme “Increasing action on the oceans based on science and innovation”.
From the Conference, the second after the New York conference in 2017, voluntary commitments are expected on Sustainable Development Goal 14, concerning the protection of marine life.
