Two Weeks Devoted to the Oceans and the Law of the Sea at the UN Headquarters in New York

On the occasion of the twenty-sixth meeting of the States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Principality, in line with the provisions of the said Convention and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reaffirmed its firm and determined commitment to the protection, conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.

Protecting marine biodiversity by creating marine protected areas, promoting international scientific cooperation, reducing ocean acidification and combating pollution at sea are the main areas in which Monaco is working actively to achieve SDG 14.

Reaffirming the visionary character of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea of 1982, the Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN, moreover, reiterated the Principality's commitment to developing a new implementation agreement for the Convention for the conservation of marine biodiversity on the high seas and compensating for the fragmentation of the existing framework. This negotiation, which opened in March 2016, is expected to be one of the most important recent developments in international law.

In early June, the issue of the threats posed by marine debris and plastic and micro-plastic waste at sea was examined. Note that 80% of this waste originates from the land.

Solutions to this problem, which affects all the world's oceans and seas, could also be brought about by coastal States, by raising public awareness, changing consumers' habits, pressure on industry and partnerships with the public sector.

The action undertaken by the Prince's Government and by local players in the Principality, such as the "fair trade" initiative, were also highlighted in the report by the Secretary General of the UN on these issues.