The Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, said this Sunday that he hopes that the United Nations Conference on the Oceans, which starts on Monday in Lisbon, will give a “decisive impetus” to transform the relationship with the oceans.
The position was conveyed at the United Nations (UN) flag-raising ceremony at the Altice Arena, in Lisbon, which marked the holding of the second United Nations Conference on the Oceans, co-hosted by the governments of Portugal and Kenya.
The ceremony was also attended by the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations and Secretary-General of the Conference, Liu Zhenmin, and the Minister of Economy and the Sea, António Costa Silva.
“We hope that the conference will provide a decisive impetus to transform our relationship with the oceans”said João Gomes Cravinho, in the speech that preceded the moment in which the Portuguese and UN flags were hoisted simultaneously.
The governor said that the moment represents a historic milestone in the cooperation between the UN and Portugalstressing that “the promotion of sustainable management of the oceans has been a strategic priority for Portugal”.
The second UN Conference on the Oceans, which the Covid-19 pandemic postponed from 2020 to this year, will bring together in Lisbon, between June 27 and July 1, the member states of the organization, society civil and international financial organizations, with more than 20,000 people registered.
The international community will try to promote the adoption of “innovative science-based solutions” for sustainable ocean managementincluding the fight against water acidification, pollution, illegal fishing and the loss of “habitats” and biodiversity.
Source: Observadora
