World Oceans Day
8 June 2018
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at World Oceans Day celebration
Good evening – excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
We are here, tonight, because it is World Oceans Day.
Usually, we mark these international days with a celebration.
But, unfortunately, I will not deliver a celebratory speech.
Because, frankly, our oceans are not doing well.
And that is the first point I want to make this evening.
Actually, they are facing a long list of challenges: Overfishing….acidification….warming….pollution….and dying biodiversity.
And the list of waste and pollution they contain…is just as long. From cigarette butts and plastic straws… to chemical waste and untreated sewage.
The fact is: the way we are living is destroying our oceans.
We are producing one million plastic bottles every minute. And the vast majority – in fact a staggering 91% – are not recycled.
Actually, half of our plastics are thrown away, after just one use.
And, when you stop and think about these numbers…it is no wonder that 13 million tonnes of plastics end up in our oceans, every year. And, it is not hard to see why, by 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean, than fish.
As my second point, I want to put the focus on us.
Because this is not a remote issue – Something that is taking place, miles away, on the high seas.
Actually, it has a direct impact on our lives.
Our pollution makes its way back to us, through the food chain. It is affecting our livelihoods. It is damaging our health. And it is destroying natural habitats we rely on.
It was us who put it there. And so, it is up to us – to clean it up. And to prevent it from happening in the future.
The good news is, we have plans in place, to do just that.
And that is my third and final point today.
Firstly, we dedicated one of our global goals – SDG 14 – to our oceans.
Secondly, this time last year, the very first Oceans Conference was held, in this building. It gave a forum to world leaders, to make new commitments. And, since then, we have heard even more countries committing to action, including more plans to phase out single-use plastics.
And thirdly, we have started the process to adopt a treaty to protect marine biodiversity that is beyond national jurisdiction.
And, we are using technology and social media platforms, to drive action. For example, #CleanSeas, which calls for plastic reduction policies.
So, excellencies, colleagues, friends…
As I said, we are not here to celebrate.
And, no, we are not here to, simply, raise awareness. Unfortunately, it is too late for that.
We are here to call for concrete, urgent and direct action.
Every single one of us can do something – and we can do it now.
From avoiding single-use plastics – to lobbying for new policies and legislation.
So, thank you for being here.
This event was possible, due to the work of the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, His Excellency, Miguel de Serpa Soares, and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Oceans, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Thomson– and their teams.
But we are also here because of all of you – and your commitment to cleaning up the mess we have made of our oceans.
Thank you, and enjoy tonight’s reception.
