Europe Jacques Delors attended the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon
Pascal Lamy brought our messages to the conference “Grand challenges in Ocean Science For A Sustainable Future” : we have no time ; we need more science ; digital is the way to go ; there’s a need for global partnership ; it is time for hydrosphere citizen science.
Geneviève Pons, together with MEP Catherine Chabaud, concluded the event that presented the Charter to implement the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030” in the Mediterranean. She underlined that effective ocean governance should rely on three S’s: breaking silos; using science as a basis for decision-making; and involving civil society in decision-making and action.
Geneviève Pons asked the views of French President Emmanuel Macron on the creation of vast marine protected areas around Antarctica at the dialogue organized on the premices of the Oceano Azul Foundation in the Lisbon Aquarium. He showed a great understanding of the issues at stake and expressed interesting views on how to overcome the stalemate in CCAMLR, which we will follow-up with the French Ambassador for the Poles, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor.
It was during this dialogue that President Macron communicated his most welcome position on the deep seas: the objective pursued is conservation - let’s start exploration for scientific purposes, respecting the precaution principle. No exploitation should be allowed at this stage.
Geneviève Pons and Pascal Lamy co-chaired the Antarctica 2020 strategic dinner where the question of how to overcome Russian and Chinese opposition to the protection of vast marine areas around Antarctica was once again debated and several avenues explored.
On this occasion, we handed over our latest publication to the Portuguese Minister of Economy Manuel de Herédia Caldeira Cabral who, one month earlier, had shown support for the creation of a European Ocean agency as proposed in our previous publication on European ocean governance.
