10 December 2012: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) held a session to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Addressing the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted the Convention’s contribution to international peace and security, as well as to the equitable and efficient use of ocean resources.

Ban underlined that UNCLOS is “an important tool for sustainable development,” as affirmed by the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). He listed the challenges currently faced by oceans, including pollution, ocean acidification, over-exploitation of resources, piracy and maritime boundary disputes, and stressed the need to strive for the full implementation of UNCLOS. Concluding, he called for reaching the goal of universal participation to the Convention set out by the UNGA.

Rodney Charles, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN and UNGA Vice-President, said UNCLOS has become a critical element of the international legal framework. He highlighted the role of the Convention in setting a global development agenda focused on sustainable resource use, stressing that the Rio+20 outcome document recognizes that it provides the legal framework for “achieving the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.”

He also referred to the launch in August 2012 of the Oceans Compact: Healthy Oceans for Prosperity, which aims to support and strengthen the implementation of UNCLOS. [Statement of UN Secretary-General] [UN Press Release] [IISD RS Story on Launch of Oceans Compact] [UNGA Press Release]