Pretoria - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa is currently in New York, attending a United Nations Conference.
The United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development (Ocean Conference) will be held until Friday.
The conference, which is held under the theme of “Our Oceans, Our Future: partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14,” is hosted by the governments of Fiji and Sweden.
The conference, which is aimed at finding solutions that will reverse the decline in the health of the ocean for global people, the planet and prosperity, will be solutions-focused with engagement from all.
“Minister Molewa will lead the South African delegation during eight plenary meetings over the conference period. She will participate in several partnership dialogues that will address, inter alia, the following topics: Marine pollution; Managing, protecting, conserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems; Minimizing and addressing ocean acidification, and Increasing scientific knowledge, and developing research capacity and transfer of marine technology,” the department said.
She will also participate in the special event commemorating World Oceans Day, on 8 June 2017.
The event will include various segments highlighting the wonders of our “blue planet”, oceanic science and exploration.
It will also feature examples of the Sustainable Development Goals in action, as well as the contribution of youth to the sustainable development and management of the oceans.
“On the 25 September 2015 a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and targets, entitled; Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted. Member States committed to working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030,” the department said.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Among them, SDG 14, the “Oceans goal,” aims to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.
“It includes 10 targets relating to marine pollution, protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, minimising ocean acidification, sustainable management of fisheries and ending harmful fisheries subsidies, conserving costal and marine areas, increasing the economic benefits to the SmaIl Islands Developing States (SIDS) Islands and Least Developed Countries (LCDs), and means of implementation,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
