Tag Archives: UN Ocean Conference

Privatizing the sea: How private corps stole the sea from the commons

Since 1945, when the US unilaterally asserted ownership of the continental shelf and parts of the high seas around its shores, much of the ‘blue commons’ has been converted into private property. In 1982, UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) endorsed the biggest enclosure in history, granting countries exclusive economic zones (EEZs) that extended 200 nautical miles from their coastlines. This set in train procedures and institutional mechanisms that have expanded privatisation and financialisation to all parts of the marine economy. It also cemented neocolonialism, granting ex-imperial countries such as the US, France and the UK millions of square miles around lands far from their shores — their so-called ‘overseas territories’. >click to read< 09:18

UN Ocean Conference Aims for Paris Climate-Like Accord for Ocean Health

The first ever UN Ocean Conference came to a close on 9 June with a “Call For Action”, where over 1,300 voluntary commitments were made to support ocean health, and aspirations for a new convention to protect biodiversity in roughly half of our planet which lies beyond national jurisdictions.,, Considered to be the largest gathering for the oceans ever convened, the Ocean Conference that took place at the UN headquarters in New York was designed to boost support for Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14), which lays out ambitious targets to conserve and sustainably use marine resources. Heralded by Sir Richard Branson and Leonardo DiCaprio,,, click here to read the story  13:22

The first ever major UN Oceans Conference is underway though it is about oceans in name only.

Everything at the conference about the oceans comes within the context of the overlords of lands. Lofty statements call for more rules and with those rules more soldiers to rule over the oceans. It is as if the delegates watched nothing but swash buckling pirate movies their whole lives. Someone must speak for the oceans that need our help to restore them to historic health and abundance. If you gaze upon the two images of this planet above you will see one image shows the common view where land is prominent. The other image is more accurate as this blue planet is 72% oceans. Even of the 28% that is land barely half of that is free of ice and capable of harbouring life. June 5-9 is the UN Ocean Conference, the high-level United Nations Conference to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Read the article here 22:12