Ahmed Sareer is Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations.

Protecting Small Island Developing States from Pollution and the Effects of Climate Change

A part of the Maalhosmadulu Atolls, Maldives, seen from space. © NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan Aster Science Team/Marine Photobank

There are few more powerful symbols of the international community's shared past and future than the ocean. From the earliest human migrations, it carried our ancestors to new continents, brought civilizations together, and opened the world to exploration and trade. It also connects us ecologically.