Monday sees the opening of a historical United Nations conference in New York that will set the course for implementation of the ocean-related Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Ocean Conference (5-9 June) will feature a high-level plenary session, several “partnership dialogues” and many more side events during which all aspects of SDG 14 and its sub-targets will be analysed and discussed. Among the expected outcomes of the conference will be a concise and focused declaration, agreed by governments, in the form of a "Call for Action" to support the implementation of Goal 14 and a list of “voluntary commitments” to reinforce that objective.
IMO’s delegation is headed by Secretary-General Kitack Lim, who will be speaking in several fora during the conference about IMO’s strong commitment to SDG 14. IMO has also registered a number of its own voluntary commitments, and will be hosting its own side event (alongside the Maritime Authority of Jamaica) which will explore how partnerships are transforming shipping to achieve SDG 14.
The Ocean Conference coincides with World Oceans Day (June 8) and is billed by the organisers as the “game changer that will reverse the decline in the health of our ocean for people, planet and prosperity.”