Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A statement was issued by the European Union institutions in Brussels and said: “On June 8, we celebrate World Oceans Day. The oceans are vital for life on Earth, play a crucial role in climate regulation, provide more oxygen than all forests combined, and are of paramount importance.” In the face of pressing global challenges, such as food security, energy and rapid green transformation.
However, ocean temperatures have never been higher, and marine life is disappearing at an unprecedented pace, putting the world at risk. Our oceans, which serve as the planet's largest carbon storehouse, cannot wait for dramatic declines, and neither can we.
Since World Oceans Day last year, we have seen promising progress in protecting the oceans. On 19 June 2023, a landmark convention on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas, known as the BBNJ Convention, was adopted. With the European Parliament's vote on April 24, the European Union is one step closer to ratifying the agreement.
The task before us now is to reach sixty ratifications of the agreement so that it enters into force and we can move forward with its effective implementation. Our goal is to achieve this by the UN Oceans Conference in June 2025 in France.
The European Union takes the necessary measures. Ocean sustainability is a priority for EU green diplomacy. At the 9th Our Ocean Conference held in Greece, earlier this year, the EU presented 40 new commitments for a safe, secure, clean, healthy and sustainably managed ocean, adding up to €3.5 billion from various EU funds, the highest contribution. from the European Union since then. Our Oceans conferences began a decade ago. Our engagement remains rooted in the principles of dialogue, partnership and solidarity with our partners around the world.
Looking to the future, strengthening the relationship between oceans and climate change remains a priority for the European Union. The EU is also seeking to expand marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean and is calling for an ambitious outcome to negotiations on an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
Protecting our oceans is a shared responsibility, and only the implementation of global solutions, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the BBNJ Convention, can contribute to achieving this.