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One Ocean Symposium Aims to Achieve SDG 14

The One Ocean Symposium on July 1 at the United Nations looked to address Sustainable Development Goal 14, which raises concern about ocean responsibility.  Currently 99% of the ocean is open to fishing, although only over 2% of the ocean's surface is protected by a total of 11,000 ocean sanctuaries.  At a recent symposium in March, representatives became determined to raise that percentage to at least 10% within the next 5 years.

The Ocean Sanctuary Alliance (OSA), which works to address a variety of issues related to marine sanctuaries, works with several governments and private sector leaders.  Since its start in 2013, the OSA has had four high-level symposia at the UN, where it drafted a stand-alone ocean goal, "called for the establishment of marine sanctuaries and the resources to make them successful," and pushed the formation of SDG 14.  In addition, world renowned scientists joined in March in order to prove that "sanctuaries can indeed be regenerative and reverse the decline in fish stocks."

The GPF was proud to co-organise this event with the Bahamas, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of Poland, the Ocean Sanctuary Alliance, and the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science.   The Symposium created a dialogue regarding the challenges and opportunities that will arise with SDG 14.  Ultimately, the panels aimed to identify solutions and strategies and encourage global action and cooperation to move towards those goals.

To view the final programme, please click here.

To view the post-event brief by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations, please click here.

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