UN members adopt the ‘Lisbon Declaration’

Context

Recently, all 198 members of the United Nations unanimously adopted July 1, 2022 the Lisbon Declaration on ocean conservation.

The Lisbon Treaty started as a constitutional project at the end of 2001 (European Council declaration on the future of the European Union, or Laeken declaration).
It was followed up in 2002 and 2003 by the European Convention which drafted the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (Constitutional Treaty).
The process leading to the Lisbon Treaty is a result of the negative outcome of two referendums on the Constitutional Treaty in May and June 2005, in response to which the European Council decided to have a two-year ‘period of reflection’.
Finally, on the basis of the Berlin declaration of March 2007, the European Council of 21 to 23 June 2007 adopted a detailed mandate for a subsequent Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), under the Portuguese presidency.
The IGC concluded its work in October 2007.
The Treaty was signed at the European Council of Lisbon on 13 December 2007 and has been ratified by all Member States.
It sends a strong signal to urgently improve the health, sustainable use and resilience of the ocean.
It was recognised that developing countries, particularly small island developing states and least developed countries, need assistance with capacity building.

It aims to follow science-based and innovative actions on an urgent basis.
It aims to protect at least 30% of national maritime zones by 2030.
It aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Allocating funds to research on ocean acidification, climate resilience and surveillance.
Scale-up Science-based and innovative actions to address ocean emergency
Support implementation of SDG14 (life below water) by empowering women and girls- recognising their participation is crucial to building a sustainable ocean-based economy
Protect biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which lie outside the 200-mile (322-kilometer) exclusive economic zones of countries.
Participants at the conference also agreed to work on preventing, reducing and controlling marine pollution. It includes:

India will take up the Coastal clean sea campaign (‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’.)
Ban on single-use plastics.

Sustainable ocean-based economies: developing and promoting innovative financing solutions to help create sustainable ocean-based economies as well as expanding nature-based solutions to help conserve and preserve coastal communities.
Restoring harmony with nature through a healthy, productive, sustainable and resilient ocean is critical for our planet, our lives and our future.