The UN Ocean Conference (United Nations) ended this Friday (1st), in Lisbon, with a declaration that assumes the critical situation of the seas and calls for more ambition to save marine systems.
“We are deeply alarmed by the global emergency facing the ocean,” says the document, which was unanimously approved by more than 150 countries.
The text, called the Lisbon Declaration, recognizes the fundamental importance of the seas for the balance of the planet and lists some of the main problems of the oceans, such as rising sea levels, warming and acidification of waters, in addition to pollution and overfishing. .
The declaration also reinforces the need to invest in research and the preservation of marine ecosystems, and highlights the additional problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for small island countries whose economies are highly dependent on the ocean.
“We also recognize the threat to the health of the oceans caused by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the inadequate management of waste, including plastic waste, such as personal protective equipment, which has exacerbated the problem of marine plastic litter and microplastics,” he says. the text.
Negotiated for more than a year, the document was agreed in advance by the diplomats and was not opened for changes at the meeting. While committing to “implementing voluntary commitments” and calling for more ambitious action, the nations have not set deadlines.
The conference also had some voluntary commitments from countries and institutions. One of the highlights was the Development Bank of Latin America, which announced US$ 1.2 billion (about R$ 6.4 billion) for projects that benefit the region’s oceans.
Host of the meeting, organized jointly with Kenya, Portugal has committed to having 30% of its waters as protected areas by 2030.
Most environmental organizations viewed the meeting in a positive light, albeit with a call for more efforts to move from words to action.
“It wasn’t a conference to make decisions, but I think the results were positive, mainly to set the stage for the next important decisions about the oceans, like the new international treaty for biodiversity in the high seas”, says Matthew Gianni, specialist in marine conservation and co-founder of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
A specialist in Biodiversity conservation at the Boticário Group Foundation, Janaína Bumbeer says that, among the Brazilian participants, the meeting was considered very fruitful.
“Overall, the conference was very positive. We left this last day with a feeling of hope, as there is a need to have this space for dialogue, for collaboration between sectors and also between countries. The challenges of the ocean are great and do not respect borders” , evaluates.
Global WWF Ocean Practice Leader Pepe Clarke says he expects to see more concrete action in the near future.
“We left Lisbon with great impetus, but the real test of success for the 2nd UN Oceans Conference will come in the coming months. WWF wants to see global policies such as robust new treaties for the high seas and plastics, as well as continued action to reduce harmful fisheries subsidies and achieve 30% protection of the world’s oceans.”
For several experts and civil society organizations, the conference was the first major face-to-face meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. The possibility of resuming contacts and structuring actions was praised by several participants.
About 6,500 delegates attended the meeting, which was attended by more than 120 ministers and 24 heads of state and government.
Marine pollution and the impact of plastic waste on the waters were one of the highlights of the meeting, as well as the mobilization for the establishment of a moratorium on mining activities on the high seas.
The extraction of minerals, mainly nickel and cobalt, in ultra-deep international waters is one of the major concerns of environmentalists, who denounce the serious consequences for biodiversity and water quality.
The official delegation from Brazil was led by the Minister of the Environment, Joaquim Leite, who made a formal presentation of projects developed in the country.
A member of the Network of Specialists in Nature Conservation and a professor at Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo), Ronaldo Christofoletti praised the participation of representatives of Brazilian society, such as civil society organizations and activists, but classified the government proposals as timid.
“Brazil, with all its potential and its immense stretch of coast, with all its biodiversity, has yet to show, in governmental terms, a bolder commitment to contributions to ocean health and conservation goals,” he said.
The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.
