PH gears up for 2025 UN ocean meet; recommits to SGD 14

This photograph shows a baby turtle, saved by volunteers of Dekafok marine conservation centre in Manavgat, on July 14, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government has reaffirmed its commitment to helping preserve the seas and marine resources ahead of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in France.

In a side event at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) on Monday, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez said preparations for the Philippines’ participation in the high-level UN meet are in full swing, with upcoming consultations with stakeholders scheduled in the coming months.

“SDG 14 (Sustainable Development Goal 14) seeks to address the challenges facing the oceans, which cover over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and play a crucial role in providing food and livelihood for more than 3 billion people, as well as combating the effects of climate change,” he said.

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“As we near 2030, it is imperative that we take this opportunity to recommit, energize, and build momentum for exposing the gaps in our implementation.”

In the Philippines, Alferez said the government is mainstreaming SDG 14 (Life Below Water) in its national development plan by strengthening marine protected areas and promoting sustainable fisheries.

Manila, he added, is making an effort to address marine pollution, and climate change impacts and promote ocean governance, among others.

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On marine pollution, Alferez said the country is actively working with like-minded states in negotiating a landmark treaty against plastic pollution.

“We have our permanent representative in Nairobi participating in very early negotiations for a treaty on marine pollution, particularly on plastics. And we’re very engaged,” he said.

“We work closely with the current chairman and the like-minded countries to ensure that all interests are considered in making sure that the use of plastics do not redound to further pollution of the oceans.”

The third UNOC, which is taking place in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, has the overarching theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”

The conference will touch on specific topics representing the building blocks of successful SDG 14 implementation, including sustainable fisheries management, restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, advancing sustainable ocean-based economies, and implementing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to enhance the conservation of oceans.