Oceans and the law of the sea
A/RES/73/124
World Oceans Day on 8 June, and in this regard affirming the important role of the
declaration in demonstrating the collective will to take action to conserve and
sustainably use our oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development,
Recognizing the important contributions of the partnership dialogues and
voluntary commitments made in the context of the high-level United Nations
Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 to
the effective and timely implementation of Goal 14,
Recognizing also paragraphs 64 and 65 of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of
the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, adopted by the
Conference, which was held from 13 to 16 July 2015, 8
Welcoming the ocean-related outcomes of the third session of the United Nations
Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme, especi ally
the resolutions on marine litter and microplastics 9 and on addressing water pollution
to protect and restore water-related ecosystems, 10 and the resolution on the role,
functions and modalities for United Nations Environment Programme
implementation of the Samoa Pathway as a means of facilitating achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals, 11
Conscious that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to
be considered as a whole through an integrated, interdisciplinary and intersec toral
approach, and reaffirming the need to improve cooperation and coordination at the
national, regional and global levels, in accordance with the Convention, to support
and supplement the efforts of each State in promoting the implementation and
observance of the Convention and the integrated management and sustainable
development of the oceans and seas,
Reiterating the essential need for cooperation, including through capacitybuilding and transfer of marine technology, to ensure that all States, espe cially
developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked
developing countries and small island developing States, as well as coastal African
States, are able both to implement the Convention and to benefit from the sustainable
development of the oceans and seas, as well as to participate fully in global and
regional forums and processes dealing with oceans and law of the sea issues, while
recognizing the need to also address the particular challenges faced by developing
middle-income countries,
Emphasizing the need to strengthen the ability of competent international
organizations to contribute, at the global, regional, subregional and bilateral levels,
through cooperation programmes with Governments, to the development of nation al
capacity in marine science and the sustainable management of the oceans and their
resources,
Recalling that marine science is important for eradicating poverty, contributing
to food security, conserving the world’s marine environment and resources, helping
to understand, predict and respond to natural events and promoting the sustainable
development of the oceans and seas, by improving knowledge, through sustained
research efforts and the evaluation of monitoring results, and applying such
knowledge to management and decision-making,
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9
10
11
18-21627
Resolution 69/313, annex.
UNEP/EA.3/Res.7.
UNEP/EA.3/Res.10.
See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 25
(A/71/25), annex, resolution 2/4.
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