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The 2nd UN Ocean Conference starts today at Lisbon

Tags: International Relations Science and Technology Summits

The 2nd United Nation Ocean Conference co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal starts today at Lisbon, Portugal.

 It was originally scheduled for 2-6 June, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to its rescheduling (to 27 June to 1 July, 2022).

The First United Nation Ocean Conference was held in New York from 5-9 June 2017.

The 2nd UN Ocean Conference 2022 will bring together leaders and scientists from more than 120 countries and will be held from 27 June to 1 July 2022. The conference will discuss ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, ‘Life Below Water’.

Sustainable Development Goal   

In 2015 the United Nations adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development . It set out 17 Sustainable Development targets to be achieved by 2030.

The target set in the SDG 14 has not been met and the oceans are being badly affected by global climate change, pollution, acidification and deep-sea mining, threatening biodiversity.

Theme of the Conference 2022

The second Ocean Conference  theme is  ‘’Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions”.

 The Conference will focus on  eight themes:

 i) marine pollution;

 ii) promotion of sustainable ocean-based economies in SIDS(Small Island Developing States) and least developed countries (LDC); 

iii) protection and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems; 

iv) ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation;

 v) sustainable fishing;

 vi) improvement of scientific knowledge of the ocean;

 vii) enhancement of conservation and sustainability through international law; and 

viii) leveraging interlinkages between SDG 14 and other Sustainable Goals. 

Indian Representation 

India is represented by Union  Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

Importance of Ocean 

• According to the United Nations , the ocean  covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, is the planet's largest biosphere, and is home to up to 80 percent of all life in the world.
•  It generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the additional heat generated from those emissions.
•  It is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest carbon sink - a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change.