A 'High Level Event on Ocean Action: Immersed in Change' kicked off with an examination of the ocean's beauty and alarming degradation in Costa Rica.
The event's opening day featured the "Let's Be Nice to the Ocean" curtain-raiser, which emphasized the #LetBeNicetotheOcean movement's goal of making ocean protection a universal norm.
Discussions included recent successes, like the UN's new agreement on ocean biodiversity and the Global Biodiversity Framework. Speakers pushed for a global treaty to stop plastic pollution by the end of the year.
Hervé Berville, France's Minister of State for Marine Affairs, stressed that ocean protection is crucial to tackling the triple planetary crisis.
Costa Rica's Foreign Minister, Arnoldo André Tinoco, introduced the Peace for Ocean Declaration, encouraging joint solutions for a sustainable future.
Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General, discussed the importance of the Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity, adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Small Islands States.
Costa Rica's President, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, emphasized the urgent need to rescue the ocean and make better decisions for the planet.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a video message, praised Costa Rica's example in marine protection and highlighted the significance of the Peace for Ocean Declaration.
The event featured four interactive panels showcasing replicable success stories. Panels covered satellite technology for ocean conservation, the sustainable blue economy, responsible use of fishing resources, and scientific development to combat marine pollution.
These discussions underscored the importance of infrastructure investment, capacity building, and a whole-of-society approach to ocean solutions.
The High-Level Segment on Ocean Action saw 25 government representatives reiterate their commitments to ocean conservation and showcase initiatives to ratify the BBNJ Agreement and implement the GBF.
The "logbook" event on ocean science focused on accelerating investment in science and technology to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 and prepare for the Third UN Ocean Conference in 2025.