One Ocean Summit, United Nations - an update
One Ocean Summit 2022 - an update
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- The story: Prime Minister Modi addressed the high-level segment of the One Ocean Summit. The summit was organised by France in Brest, France in cooperation with the United Nations and the World Bank. It was addressed by various other Heads of State and Governments from countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Canada among others.
- Significance of Oceans: The world ocean covers more than 70% of the surface of the planet but remains on the sidelines of major European and international events. The ocean is a regulator of major environmental balances, and climate in particular, a provider of resources, an important enabler of trade, and an essential link between countries and human communities but seriously threatened by numerous pressures, such as the effects of climate change, pollution or the overexploitation of marine resources. Two-third of the oceans are unprotected.
- One Ocean Summit: In an effort to mobilise the international community and take tangible action to mitigate pressures on the ocean, France has decided to organise a One Planet Summit dedicated to the ocean. Commitments will be made towards combating illegal fishing, decarbonising shipping and reducing plastic pollution. It will also focus on efforts to improve governance of the high seas and coordinating international scientific research.
- India’s role: India has always been a maritime civilization and in present its security and prosperity are linked to oceans. It supports the French initiative of a 'High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction'.
- The coalition gathers parties which are committed, at the highest political level, to achieve an ambitious outcome of the ongoing negotiations on a Treaty of the High Seas (“the implementing agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction”), under the auspices of the United Nations.
- The “BBNJ Treaty”, also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”, is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, currently under negotiation at the United Nations.
- This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the main international agreement governing human activities at sea.
- India is committed to eliminating single-use plastic. India recently undertook a nation-wide awareness campaign to clean plastic and other waste from coastal areas. Three hundred thousand young people collected almost 13 tons of plastic waste. India will be happy to join France in launching a global initiative on single use plastics.
- Recently, the Ministry Of Environment Forest And Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 which prohibit specific single-use plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential” by 2022. India has also directed its Navy to contribute100 ship-days this year to cleaning plastic waste from the seas.
- Other global efforts: UN Ocean Conference was conducted in 2017. Next conference is scheduled to be held in 2022. The UN has proclaimed 2021-2030 as a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. June 8th is celebrated as World Oceans Day by the United Nations. In 2019, the Indian and Norwegian governments agreed to work more closely on oceans by signing a MoU and establishing the India-Norway Ocean Dialogue.
- Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): It is an open, non-treaty based initiative for countries to work together for cooperative and collaborative solutions to common challenges in the region.
- GloLitter Partnerships Project: It is launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UNs (FAO) and initial funding from the Government of Norway. It is aimed to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from shipping and fisheries.
- Summary: A healthy ocean regulates climate and reduce climate change impacts. Ocean currents distribute heat across the globe, regulating temperature and weather. The ocean also absorbs over 90% of the heat and approximately 30% of carbon dioxide emissions produced by human activities. So protecting the oceans is necessary for human existence on this planet.
- EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) What is the One Ocean Summit, and how will it be helpful to protect the world ocean? Explain. (2) Plastic pollution is the most ubiquitous problem affecting the marine environment. Discuss analytically.
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