A/RES/70/235
Oceans and the law of the sea
Acidification International Coordination Centre of the International Atomic Energy
Agency;
176. Notes with concern the approximately 30 per cent increase in the acidity
of ocean surface waters since the beginning of the industrial era 80 and the wide
range of impacts associated with the continuing and alarming acidification of the
world’s oceans, and urges States to make significant efforts to tackle the causes of
ocean acidification, recognizing countries national circumstances and respe ctive
capabilities, and to further study and minimize its impacts, to enhance local,
national, regional and global cooperation in this regard, including the sharing of
relevant information and the development of worldwide capacity, including in
developing countries, to measure ocean acidification, and to take steps to make
marine ecosystems healthier and, as a result, more resilient, to the extent possible, to
the impacts of ocean acidification;
177. Recognizes the attention paid to ocean acidification at the fourteenth
meeting of the Informal Consultative Process, and commits itself to continue to pay
attention to this important issue, including by taking into account the first global
integrated marine assessment and the ongoing work of the Ocean Acidifica tion
International Coordination Centre;
178. Encourages States, individually or in collaboration with relevant
international organizations and bodies, to enhance their scientific activity to better
understand the effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine
biodiversity and develop ways and means of adaptation, taking into account, as
appropriate, the precautionary approach and ecosystem approaches;
179. Notes the convening of the twenty-first session of the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Paris,
from 30 November to 11 December 2015, recognizes the importance of raising
awareness of the adverse impact of climate change on the marine environment,
marine biodiversity and sea level, and notes that Oceans Day at the twenty-first
session of the Conference of the Parties was held on 4 December 2015;
180. Encourages States that have not yet done so to become parties to
international agreements addressing the protection and preservation of the marine
environment and its living marine resources against the introduction of harmful
aquatic organisms and pathogens and marine pollution from all sources, including
the dumping of wastes and other matter, and other forms of physical degradation, as
well as agreements that provide for preparedness for, response to and cooperation on
pollution incidents and that include provisions on liability and compensation for
damage resulting from marine pollution, and to adopt the necessary measures
consistent with international law, including the Convention, aimed at implementing
and enforcing the rules contained in those agreements;
181. Recalls that in “The future we want”, States noted the significant threat
that alien invasive species pose to marine ecos ystems and resources and committed
to implement measures to prevent the introduction and manage the adverse
environmental impacts of alien invasive species, including, as appropriate, those
adopted in the framework of the International Maritime Organizatio n;
_______________
80
As stated in the 2013 report of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on
the physical science basis of climate change.
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