The UN Oceans Conference which began on Monday saw top UN officials urging for coordinated global action to protect the oceans of the world. Speaking at the conference, Secretary General António Guterres cautioned  Governments that unless they overcame short-term territorial and resource interests, the state of the oceans will continue to deteriorate.

Stating that the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources are two sides of the same coin, he said that a new strategic vision of how to govern the oceans and marine resources is the need of the hour.

He emphasized the need for expanding marine protected areas and reducing plastic waste pollution which requires a strong bond of political leadership and new partnerships, based on the existing legal framework, and concrete steps.

The conference was attended by heads of State and Government, civil society representatives, business people, as well as actors, and ocean and marine life advocates.

The President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson spoke against the unpardonable actions, such as dumping the equivalent of one large garbage truck of plastic into the oceans every minute of every day, driving fish stocks to the points of collapse, and destroying marine life through acidification and deoxygenation.

He said that it is imperative to restore sustainability, balance and respect to our relationship with our primal mother, the source of life, the Ocean.