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4-5 February 2020 - Ocean Conference Preparatory Meeting
Conference room 4, UNHQ, New York
In anticipation of the second United Nations Ocean Conference, the General Assembly through resolution 73/292 convened a two-day preparatory meeting from 4-5 February 2020 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Chaired by co-facilitators H.E. Ms. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative of Palau, and H.E. Mr. Martin Bille Hermann, Permanent Representative of Denmark, the meeting considered the themes for the interactive dialogues and the elements of a brief, action-oriented and agreed intergovernmental declaration.
Prior to the preparatory process, the Secretary-General prepared a background with a proposal of the dialogue themes and an overview of the theme of the Conference: “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions”. In addition, the co-facilitators circulated a set of proposed questions to Member States and other stakeholders to guide preparations for the meeting.
The preparatory meeting resulted in a silence procedure regarding a change to the title of the third interactive dialogue. This procedure was unbroken, and the co-facilitators confirmed the modified list of themes in accordance with their commitment to an open, inclusive and transparent process.
Delegations also discussed the elements of a brief, action-oriented and agreed intergovernmental declaration. By the beginning of March and in line with resolution 73/292, the co-facilitators will circulate a zero draft to serve as the starting point for the informal consultations on the declaration.
The Under-Secretary-General and Conference Secretary-General encouraged Member States to contribute to a voluntary trust fund that will support the preparations for the Conference and the participation of representatives of developing countries, particularly least-developed countries and Small Island Developing States, in the Conference.
Details on the outcomes of the preparatory meeting (statements, letters, programme…) can be found in the other tabs of the Preparatory Process section.