“This flag raising ceremony marks the beginning of UN operations at the venue of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, which will be held here from 27 June to 1 July,” said Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA and Secretary-General of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, as the flags of Portugal and the United Nations were raised outside of the Altice Arena in Lisbon on 26 June.
“We would not have reached this historic milestone without the close and fruitful cooperation between the United Nations and the co-hosts of the Conference, Portugal and Kenya, during months of preparation. We are deeply appreciative of their leadership, commitment and dedication,” Mr. Liu conveyed.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Joāo Gomes Cravinho, delivered remarks at the flag raising event, at which Mr. Alexander Trepelkov of UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development Goals was the Master of Ceremonies.
Mr. Liu expressed deep gratitude towards the Portuguese Government and the people of Portugal for “the warm welcome extended to the participants at the conference, our Secretary-General António Guterres, and staff of the United Nations.”
“In the coming week, the global community will be working together to bring the UN Ocean Conference to a successful conclusion to deliver on our commitment to save our ocean and to save our planet,” Mr. Liu stressed.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank all our Portuguese and Kenyan colleagues and wish all of us a successful Conference,” concluded Mr. Liu.
Learn more about the 2022 UN Ocean Conference here and follow live via UN Web TV.