Least Developed Countries

On Friday morning, a partnership dialogue focused on enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Participants highlighted the key role of effective implementation of UNCLOS in achieving SDG 14; and challenges regarding universal participation, and uneven and ineffective implementation and enforcement. Plenary continued with the general debate; heard reports from the partnership dialogues; and adopted the conference report and the Call for Action as agreed during the intergovernmental consultations. The US: noted it did not support reference to technology transfer, reaffirming that strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights provides the incentives needed to foster innovation; disassociated itself from the call to accelerate work to complete World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on fisheries subsidies with special and differential treatment for developing countries and LDCs, explaining that WTO independence must be respected; and reiterated the recent announcement of his country's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change. France welcomed the support for the Paris Agreement indicated by its ratification by a majority of the world. The Russian Federation distanced itself from language on WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, highlighting the complexity and sensitive nature of the topic and the need to address it under the WTO. Egypt registered its reservation on language implying that invasive alien species (IAS) are due solely to human activities, noting it is factually incorrect as there are other causes, including climate change. The EU emphasized the universal and unified character of UNCLOS as the legal framework for all ocean-related activities. General Assembly President Peter Thomson, Fiji, affirmed that the conference: generated broad momentum for implementing all the SDGs; showed that ocean and climate health are “two sides of the same coin”; spurred WTO negotiators to address harmful subsidies; and emphasized the role of small-scale fisheries in sustainable blue economy. Co-President Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, Fiji, noted that voluntary commitments doubled during the week counting: 44% of commitments from governments, 19% from NGOs, 9% from the UN and 9% from the private sector; with the highest number of commitments in the North Atlantic and South Pacific, relating to marine ecosystems, pollution and science. Co-President Isabella Lövin, Sweden, congratulated delegates, in particular Fiji, for placing the ocean at the center of the political agenda as a matter of human survival, in light of the combined pressures of marine litter, ocean acidification and overfishing. She welcomed Kenya and Portugal’s offers to host the next conference in 2020, and called for a “strong home for the ocean at the UN” and leadership by the UN Secretary-General to drive SDG 14 forward. She officially gaveled the conference to a close at 5:44 pm, following which, delegates participated in a cultural ceremony to close the conference. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports and daily web coverage, and has provided a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Session Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union View of the dais during the plenary session Agostinho Mondlane, Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Mozambique President Tommy Esang Remengesau, Palau Necton Mhura, Permanent Representative to the UN, Malawi Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative to the UN, Estonia Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Oumar Guèye, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Senegal Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Fiji Arthur Andambi, Rapporteur, Kenya Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden, gaveling the meeting to a close. Partnership dialogue 7: Enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Australia Florence Galletti, Director of Research, Law of the Sea and Environmental Law, French National Research Institute for Development (IRD) Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga, Tuvalu Anastasia Strati, Greece Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Pennelope Althea Beckles, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Trinidad and Tobago Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chile Judy Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Regional Development Authorities, Kenya Hernâni Coelho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timor Leste Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barbados Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Nohora Galvis, Director, Observatorio Pro Arrecifes, Colombia Charlotte Salpin, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), with Elisa Morgera, IISD Reporting Services Participants networking Around the Venue

On Wednesday, plenary continued the general debate. Member States drew attention to institutional developments for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; highlighted commitments to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to increase coverage of marine protected areas (MPAs) in their territorial waters; and stressed the importance to fully implement the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and proceed with subsidies’ reform. In the morning, a partnership dialogue addressed making fisheries sustainable. Participants discussed the role of MPAs in sustainable fisheries and criteria for other area-based conservation measures; challenges related to IUU fishing and fisheries subsidies; and cooperation and partnerships to build sustainable fisheries. In the afternoon, a partnership dialogue focused on increasing economic benefits to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and providing access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets. Participants addressed the role of small-scale fishing in the economies of SIDS and LDCs and in communities’ livelihoods; prerequisites for improving market access, including in relation to infrastructure development, access to technology and organization through cooperatives; and diversification of local ocean economies beyond fisheries. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports and daily web coverage, and has provided a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Session View of the dais during the plenary session Cardinal Peter Turkson, Holy See Semi Koroilavesau, Minister for Fisheries, Fiji José Fidel Santana Nuñez, Vice-Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Diego Ignacio Moreno, Secretary of Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Argentina Mohamed Gibril Sesay, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sierra Leone Raphael Trotman, Minister of Natural Resources, Guyana Alberto López-Asenjo, Secretary-General of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, Spain Partnership Dialogue 4 - Making fisheries sustainable Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia Tony Long, PEW Charitable Trust Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Sven-Erik Bucht, Minister for Rural Affairs, Sweden Co-Chair Oumar Guèye, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Senegal Karl Brauner, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium, US Co-Chair Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Canada Árni Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN Milton Haughton, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Nishan Degnarain, Chair, Global Agenda Council on Oceans, World Economic Forum John Silk, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands Jörn Schmidt, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Jihyun Lee, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) View of the room during the partnership dialogue Partnership dialogue 5: Increasing economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries and providing access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets View of the dais during the partnership dialogue Mohammed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives Co-Chair Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, UN Laura Tuck, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank Group Mitchell Lay, Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organizations Vice President Vincent Meriton, Seychelles President Baron Divavesi Waqa, Nauru Co-Chair Marko Pomerants, Minister of Environment, Estonia Milner Tozaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Solomon Islands Dame Meg Taylor, Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Papua New Guinea Karen Ellemann, Minister for Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation, Denmark Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Secretariat Participants Networking

The following special event was covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Our Oceans, Our Islands, Our Future: Partnering for implementation of SDG14 High Level Reception The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Launch of the Blue Action Fund Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Solutions to Combat Marine Litter IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Ocean Conference. Photos by IISD/ENBOTS | Francis DejonFor photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Launch of the Blue Action Fund Presented by the Blue Action Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development - BMZ, Government Offices of Sweden, and the KfW Development Bank Opening the event, Harald Braun, Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN, saluted the launch of the Blue Action Fund by the Government of Germany and the German national bank (KfW Development Bank). Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, announced that Kiribati closed 200,000 km2 to fishing activities in 2015 and said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of SDG 14, with an initial fund of €24 million. She explained that the Initiative will support national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their efforts to conserve oceans and coastlines, by promoting: the safeguarding of marine biodiversity, through creating new protected areas and improving the management of existing ones; and the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., noted that by 2020, 60% of the world’s population will live in coastal areas. She said that by forming a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), the Blue Action Fund will enable the protection of migratory species. Lövin further stressed the need for working together with local communities, and announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Stephan Opitz, KfW Development Bank, explained that the Blue Action Fund selection process for NGOs was designed to be lean and competitive. He said the Initiative will fund projects that: have an integrated approach, not only setting MPAs but also involving communities in the sustainable management of marine biodiversity; have a regional focus; and be scalable and transformative. Opitz added that projects will initially be funded with €1-3 million and NGOs are expected to contribute 25% of the necessary funding for their realization. In a panel discussion moderated by Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, John Tanzer, WWF International, stressed the importance of regional networks. Greg Stone, Conservation International, spoke about the importance of setting long-term principles for MPAs. Gerald Miles, RARE, stressed the need to embed these sustainable use principles in social norms and ensure local communities’ buy in. Providing closing remarks, Cristián Samper, President, Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained investment to ensure that the partnerships created between governments, NGOs and local communities will have the desired results. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Cristián Samper, President of Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained long-term investment. Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of the SDG 14 with an initial fund of €24 million. Panel (L-R): Gerald Miles, RARE; Greg Stone, Conservation International; John Tanzer, WWF International; Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati; and Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ. Contacts: PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS More Information: www.blueactionfund.org Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Presented by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and UN-OHRLLS, in consultation with the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS, co-chaired by the Governments of the Maldives and Italy Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, opened the event, saying this second SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14 among the SIDS partnership community. In his keynote address, Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly, stressed the relevance of welcoming the SIDS Dialogue at the Ocean Conference, underscoring that partnerships for SIDS are strongly Ocean-related. He stated that SDG 14 was created by SIDS, overcoming strong opposition. Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives, highlighted that the 2014 Samoa Pathway, the blueprint for achieving sustainable development in SIDS, requires more partnerships. Silvia Velo, Italy, stressed her country’s strong partnership with SIDS and the durable and transparent relationships between equal partners, currently in place in the Samoa Pathway. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA, remarked that the SIDS Partnership Framework is open to all member states, UN agencies and stakeholders, and stressed that dialogue five of the Ocean Conference targets SIDS specifically. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, emphasized OHRLLS actions on: developing public-private partnerships for SIDS; and strategizing on how the UN system can best coordinate on SIDS issues. A dialogue followed on the theme “Partnering with SIDS and Oceans,” moderated by Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, announced that his country will establish a two million km2 marine park and a new 300, 000 km2 marine reserve where no commercial activity is allowed. He stressed the need to innovate for financing the costs of such actions and ensure their success. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, highlighted the importance of defining clear Ocean jurisdiction and stressed his country’s support to Pacific SIDS in this matter under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). She announced a AUS $2 million to the SIDS Partnership Framework for the next two years. Karen Ellemann, Minister for Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation, Denmark, shared examples of her country’s support to SIDS, including: the “Mangroves for the Future” project; a climate change adaptation project; and support to the Green Climate Fund. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Norway, highlighted her country’s actions for the implementation of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN, spoke about the creation of a 500, 000 km2 marine sanctuary, accessible only to small fisheries. Rebecca Loustau Lalanne, Seychelles, stressed the relevance of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and proposed Seychelles as host for its secretariat. Cristelle Pratt, Deputy-Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum, spoke on a review of the 300 partnerships for SIDS, saying 74 engage Pacific SIDS but 44 do not have national oversight. She called for the inclusion of partnerships in national plans. Grete Faremo, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), highlighted a water resources management programme involving six SIDS of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Nik Sekhran, UNDP, said that UNDP committed to 77 SIDS partnerships, of which 12 are Ocean-related. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, said the SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), highlighted several actions of her Office Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, announced new financial commitments to SIDS Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, stressed the need to create innovative mechanisms to finance conservation actions in SIDS. Panel (L-R): Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS); Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA; Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN; and Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Contacts: Ola Göransson (Sustainable Development Officer & Partnerships Coordinator, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA) | goranssono@un.org Shifaana Thowfeequ (Programme Management Officer, UN-OHRLLS) | thowfeequ@un.org More Information: www.sids2014.org/partnership Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Presented by UN-Water, UN-Oceans and the Action Platform on Source-to-Sea Management (S2S Platform) Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water, chaired the event. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, reviewed close linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, concluding that their ambitious targets will require transformational change. Habib El-Habr, UNEP, provided an overview of how the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) had been addressing land and ocean connections since 1995, highlighting the work of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and Global Wastewater Initiative. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and UNESCO, noted that water demand is increasing annually, implying an increase in untreated wastewater production carried to the sea. She highlighted UN-Water work in improving monitoring and the recent UN-Water synthesis report on SDG 6 linkages to other SDGs. A panel discussion was moderated by Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs, discussed the work of UN-Oceans. She called for being mindful of, inter alia : the need for vertical integration linking national, regional and global actions; and linkages between SDGs 6 and 14 and climate change. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested that wetlands are a good lens for looking at the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, and noted that the Wetlands Outlook due in 2018 will report on both inland and coastal wetlands. Jack Moss, Executive Director, Aquafed, said if all wastewater was properly treated, a large portion of pollution would never reach the sea. He noted the difficulty of addressing diffuse pollution sources such as agricultural runoff. Christine Valentin, CEO, World Ocean Council (WOC), said WOC is in the process of identifying the SDGs that impact businesses associated with oceans. She urged translating the SDGs into concrete targets the business community can understand and meet. Maria van Berlekom, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), spoke about various challenges, including siloed thinking and linking national and regional actions. Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility and S2S Platform, underscored the need to identify incentives to the investments needed to address marine pollution’s root causes. In her capacity as chair of the UN in-house dialogue on water, Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, invited more member states, researchers and other stakeholders to join the dialogue. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested wetlands are a useful lens for dealing with the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, provided an overview of the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, urged more parties to join the UN in-house dialogue on water. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UNESCO, discussed water quality monitoring and the 2017 Water Development Report, “Wastewater, The Untapped Resource.” Panel (L-R): Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs; Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility; Maria van Berlekom, SIDA; Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Habib El-Habr, UNEP; Angela Cordeir Ortigarao, UNESCO; Andrew Hudson, UNDP; Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water; and Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Contacts: Birgitta Liss Lymer (Stockholm International Water Institute) | birgitta.liss.lymer@siwi.org More Information: www.unwater.org www.unoceans.org www.siwi.org/what-we-do/source-to-sea/ Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Presented by Conservation International Moderator Aulani Wilhelm, Conservation International (CI), opened the event, welcoming participants to an “interactive session.” Highlighting that approximately 50% of matter taken from the Ocean is said to be wasted, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, spoke on technical innovation from Iceland that has shown the enormous economic opportunities to reuse and enhance the commercial value of what comes from the Ocean. He described examples from his country, including Kerecis, a company that has developed a bandage made of fish skin that can heal wounds, which has recently been taken up by the US military. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius, which has discovered large-scale economic opportunities around the Ocean since establishing a Ministry of Ocean Economy. He described innovative solutions that had been found to address issues such as illegal fishing, and spoke on a vision to develop an open access system to harness the aspiration of small islanders to create high-tech, sustainable fisheries. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, explained his company’s innovative approach to finding creative and radical solutions for problems. He explained the “moonshot culture,” which recognizes that real solutions are more likely to come from a group of people that embrace the process of finding innovations. He further explained that bonuses are awarded to employees when they discontinue a project as a recognition that running with a bad idea is an unhelpful approach, noting that 97% of ideas they float do not make it to the second phase of the project development process. For the remainder of the session, participants brainstormed in small groups on radical project ideas for sustainable development issues, such as: solving hunger for 800 million people using a massive open online course; or solving ocean pollution of the food system using desalination. Rapoport stressed that the focus should be on the process of idea generation itself, rather than the actual output. Emerging “radical” ideas included: an autonomous car that would only drive to restaurants that used sustainably sourced food; and underwater internet that would enable young people to share underwater photos on social media to raise awareness on ocean conservation issues. In the ensuing discussion, several participants said they had found the process a useful and “inspirational” eye-opener, and others suggested the need to harness the ideas coming from the Ocean Conference through developing a space where the knowledge is integrated to lead to a “real solutions” database. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, said his organization looked for people that fell in love with problems rather than their solutions. Aulani Wilhelm, CI, said her organization works to find global and local solutions to Ocean problems. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, said his country’s recovery from the economic crisis was largely due to the commercial strength of the transformation of its fishing sector. (L-R): Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory; Aulani Wilhelm, CI; and Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland. Contacts: Aulani Wilhelm (Moderator) | awilhelm@conservation.org More Information: www.conservation.org/ocean http://mymoonshot.com/ Solutions to Combat Marine Litter Presented by the Governments of Germany and Norway This event, moderated by Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, began with opening remarks from Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN. Explaining that a transition from theory to practice in terms of marine litter reduction may be possible, Schulz said the success of this transition would be “the benchmark on which we will be judged by future generations.” Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, underlined the last two years as crucial for sustainable development, highlighting the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and G20 Action Plan to combat marine litter. He also stressed the work done regionally through the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) and the HELCOM on that matter. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, spoke about the impacts of plastic pollution on the Barents Sea and on the Artic sea ice. She announced the adoption of a white paper on the place of the oceans in Norwegian foreign and development policy and an associated programme on combating marine litter and microplastics Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council, said marine litter poses an important issue for plastic manufacturers and who want to be part of the solution. He said the first thing to do was to invest in waste infrastructure management in countries where plastic use is currently exploding. He also mentioned: 65 commitments by trade associations to undertake action in their country; and a platform of plastic industry’s CEOs, committing to create common principles for recycling and waste management. Afroz Shah, UN Environment’s Champion of the Earth 2016, spoke about an event in Mumbai, which led to the cleaning of a beach with the help of hundreds of volunteers. He presented a short film, “A Date with the Ocean,” and underlined that such actions can lead to a change of mindset and are complementary to and as effective as new regulation. Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP, stressed that every environmental problem has a solution and spoke of examples of success, including waste management in Rwanda and the work of the high-tech company Dell in reducing its packaging. Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Germany, explained his country’s efforts to convince G20 countries to adopt the Action Plan to combat marine litter and finding concrete ways to make it effective. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: how to replicate Germany’s and Norway’s efficient waste management policies; ways to channel financial organizations’ funds to key levels that bring broader industrial and compartmental changes; and the necessity to act every day to reduce plastic litter. Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, discussed ways to transition from theory to practice in the management of marine litter. Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted the adoption by G20 countries of an Action Plan to combat marine litter. Afroz Shah, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016, presented his work in engaging people to clean Mumbai’s beaches from litter. Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, moderated the session. Panel (L-R): Afroz Shah, lawyer, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016; Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council; Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Lilian Busse, Germany Environment Agency; and Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP. Contacts: Jens-Michael Bopp (Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN) | jens-michael.bopp@diplo.de More Information: www.new-york-un.diplo.de

This event was presented by the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) and the UN Office of Legal Affairs, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), together with the Waitt Foundation, Waitt Institute, National Geographic Pristine Seas and Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), also with support from The Nippon Foundation and Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea. The four leaders of GLISPA hosted a high-level reception for heads of delegation, permanent representatives, and heads of organizations. The event aimed to demonstrate the leadership of island countries, coastal states and countries with islands, and to showcase capacity-building efforts and other unique tools to support SDG 14. The President of Palau, Tommy Remengesau Jr, spoke on behalf of the other three GLISPA co-Leaders – the Vice-President of Seychelles, Prime Minister of Grenada and the Deputy Premier of British Virgin Islands – highlighting culturally appropriate solutions to implementing the SDGs. He called on participants to “step up to make the Palau National Marine Sanctuary look like a small commitment.” IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided web coverage and a briefing note of the GLISPA High-Level Reception. The briefing note is now available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB+ | Franz DejonFor photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu UN Under-Secretary-General and High-Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States President Tommy Remengesau Jr., Palau Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel Yōhei Sasakawa, Chairman, Nippon Foundation VIP Guests VIP Guests Front: Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji; Yōhei Sasakawa, Chairman, Nippon Foundation; President Tommy Remengesau Jr., Palau; and Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu UN Under-Secretary-General and High-Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. Middle: Perla Tun Pech, Mayor, Cozumel; Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel; and Deputy Premier Kedrick Pickering, British Virgin Islands. Back: Spencer Thomas, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Grenada; Ted Waitt, Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute; and Vice President Vincent Meriton, Seychelles. Contacts: info@glispa.org More Information: www.glispa.org