Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

27 June 2022

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Fellow islanders,

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to join you in discussing ocean action from the perspective of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea, Small Island Developing States.

I thank the Governments of Cabo Verde, Seychelles, Singapore and my own, the Maldives, for co-convening today’s event and for inviting me to speak.

My friends,

The vastness of the ocean often merits the belief that the ocean is fine, and its abundance will never deplete.

This misconception is not only a threat to the future of our ocean but to the future of a sustainable planet.

The truth is, we are here because our ocean is in danger. What may look calm on the surface, is deteriorating beneath.

Yet, hope remains. 

Despite the current and emerging challenges, we continue to be optimistic; we have faith in science and in human ingenuity. 

But hope alone is not enough without action; We must walk the talk as custodians of the ocean, as people of the ocean.

My dear friends,

The achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14 requires this spirit of hope and cooperation.

SIDS are known as ‘big ocean states’ for the very reason that 3.5% of SIDS is land, and 96.5% is ocean. 

The collective SIDS’ Exclusive Economic Zone covers about 23.2 million square kilometers, accounting for 14% of the world’s EEZ.

We are seeing and experiencing first-hand, the consequences of a changing climate and of humanity’s unsustainable actions. 

My recent trip to the Dominican Republic was a personal and vivid reminder of the challenges we face. 

Witnessing the sargassum phenomenon, its intense presence upon the shorelines, was a clear reminder of an unhealthy ocean.

Of course, sargassum is just one issue, one symptom, among many more.

The ocean is getting warmer, rising, and turning more acidic – changes that are drastically limiting its ability to sustain life underwater and on land. 

Catches from the ocean are becoming fewer, with an ever-increasing presence of plastics and other wastes.

The rage of the ocean is palpable and can be seen in waters that encroach upon lands and take away homes. For SIDS, there is no moving further in-land – there is nowhere to go!

Considering the special case of SIDS, genuine and durable partnerships are needed. 

My friends,

Today’s meeting is also an opportunity to reflect on how SIDS can implement best practices and enhance cooperation for the achievement of SDG14, in line with the SAMOA pathway. 

Sharing best practices through a SIDS-SIDS regional approach is an effective tool. We have the means to learn from each other, and to build upon our shared challenges under a blue ocean framework.

This year’s UN Ocean Conference has set the tone, underscoring the need to reverse the declining health of our ocean, and emphasizing the impetus to define key areas of science-driven ocean action. At the same time, it aims to galvanize political commitments and actions.

We must leverage this momentum together with the outcomes of our deliberations here, to put in place practical, realistic, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for a blue and sustainable ocean.

Together with science, we can truly turn the tide on global action for ocean, and our planet.

I wish you all successful deliberations.

I thank you.