Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations
13-14 February 2017
United Nations Headquarters
New York
A World of Blue:
Preserving the oceans, safeguarding the planet, ensuring human well-being
in the context of the 2030 Agenda
New York, 7 December 2016
Dear Madam President,
Dear Mr. President,
As part of our joint action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we have
decided to devote the 2017 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations to SDG 14 on oceans,
seas and marine resources. The Ocean demands our attention because its conservation and
sustainable use has vast ramifications for economic, social and environmental policies both
nationally and globally.
A World of Blue: Preserving the oceans, safeguarding the planet, ensuring human well-
being in the context of the 2030 Agenda
will contribute to the preparatory process. The Ocean
Conference will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017.
Scheduled for 13 to 14 February, the 2017 Parliamentary Hearing takes place just before the first
preparatory meeting for the UN Conference, to be held on 15 and 16 February in New York.
The Ocean is a vital ecosystem for humanity’s sustainability. Millions of people depend on it for
their livelihoods and for nutrition. Yet, the Ocean has never been more vulnerable than it is today.
CO
2
emissions, the main driver of climate change, are causing ocean acidification that in turn
impacts the entire marine habitat. Rising sea levels linked to climate change threaten the viability of
low-lying island States, along with coastal areas such as food producing river deltas and waterfront
cities. Increasing upstream pollution from fertilizers, plastics, and waste are threatening the marine
ecosystem. Over-exploitation of fisheries is taking up two thirds of fish stocks to the point of
collapse. As new opportunities for economic growth and development arise through the exploitation
of the Ocean and its resources, the international community faces new environmental, political and
legal challenges.
As a community of policy-makers, we are called upon to address these issues. Accordingly we will
hear from leading experts in the field at the Parliamentary Hearing, and identify key
recommendations to help restore the health of the Ocean. As you know, the SDGs are all
interlinked. SDG 14 is closely connected to other goals such as climate change (SDG 13),
sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12), hunger and food security (SDG 2),
health risks linked to pollution, chemicals and other harmful materials (SDG 3), sustainable
economic growth and employment (SDG 8), and of course governance and the rule of law
(SDG 16).