It was a good day at #UNOC2022 and one of the points of discussion was improving the implementation of international law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Law is pretty unfamiliar to me (as is following rules!), but let’s give it a go.

UNCLOS establishes all the rules about the use of oceans and their resources. It essentially highlights the extent of different territorial waters, what can happen in those waters, and the regulations that govern those activities, including shipping safety, pollution prevention, and fisheries management. One of the most controversial issues is seabed mining, which UNCLOS says is to be carried out ‘for the benefit of mankind as a whole’. What this means, and to who, is very much up for debate.

Steps have been taken to strengthen implementation of UNCLOS, but as always, it’s difficult to do, especially when economic interests are at stake. In an interactive dialogue it was clarified that we have laws for three reasons: to be fair, to ensure activities are done peacefully, and to be practical. While this overview is simple, implementation remains incredibly complex.

So how do we do it? Programs and activities to enhance institutional and human capacities are important, as well as all the usual things: increasing participation, strengthening intersectoral collaboration, coordinating information and access to technology, and establishing a dedicated financial mechanism to facilitate these activities. It’s all the things we already know, and to put it simply: we need to get better at governance in general.

The day ended with this poignant reminder: the ocean was here before we existed and it will still be here after we are gone. So when we talk about ‘protecting the ocean’, we are really talking about protecting the well-being of humankind.
To achieve the well-being of mankind we need to do one thing: firmly establish unity amongst all people. I am amazed that even when trying to understand the complexity of the law, this simple truth resonates through it all.

#OceanAction #SaveOurOcean #SDG14 #BecauseOceans #livingfiercely