Oceans and the law of the sea A/RES/72/73 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 the appointment by the Secretary-General of the Special Envoy for the Ocean, Recognizing further 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, 9 Welcoming the outcomes of the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme, especially the resolutions on oceans and seas, 10 marine plastic litter and microplastics, 11 sustainable coral reefs management 12 and the role, functions and modalities for United Nations Environment Programme implementation of the Samoa Path way as a means of facilitating achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, 13 Conscious that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole through an integrated, interdisciplinary and intersectoral 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, especially 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 national 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 __________________ 9 10 11 12 13 17-21819 Resolution 69/313, annex. See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 25 (A/71/25), annex, resolution 2/10. Ibid., resolution 2/11. Ibid., resolution 2/12. Ibid., resolution 2/4. 3/55