LocationsClosing Remarks by Ms. Beate Trankmann at the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation
December 16, 2024
UNDP Resident Representative in China, Beate Trankmann, delivered closing remarks at the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation in Kunming, China.
尊敬的罗照辉 署长，
H.E. Farley, President of the Senate of Barbados
H.E. Latheef, Vice President of the Maldives
尊敬的各位领导、各位来宾，
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, I want to express my heartfelt congratulations to all the organizers on the successful conclusion of the 3rd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation.
As the world faces the combined crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, forums like this are critically important to galvanize collective action towards protecting our planet.
Today’s gathering has been particularly timely, as our oceans are vital to realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and keeping the Paris Agreement alive.
They act as the largest carbon sinks on the planet, absorbing roughly 25% of all CO₂ emissions and capturing 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions.[1] [2]
However, as we have heard time and again today, our oceans are also vulnerable, facing numerous threats, including rising temperatures, acidification, marine pollution, overfishing, and habitat loss.
The importance of safeguarding the oceans is recognized in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, negotiated under China’s presidency at COP15. The GBF for the first time proposes the ambitious goal of protecting 30% of inland water areas, and marine and coastal areas, in addition to 30% of our land.[3]
The significance and vulnerability of our oceans, though, stands in stark contrast with the investments that go into keeping them safe and healthy. Currently, SDG 14 – life below water, is the most underfunded of all Sustainable Development Goals[4]. Investing in protecting oceans in fact makes business sense. Up to 5% of GDP globally relies on the blue economy,[5] and over three billion people rely on the oceans and marine ecosystems for their lives and livelihoods.[6]
That is why, for over the past 25 years, UNDP has partnered with governments worldwide to mobilize more than 1 billion USD for ocean protection and restoration initiatives. Specifically, through our "Ocean Promise" and "Nature Pledge," we have been supporting 100 coastal nations in leveraging their blue economies through sustainable, low-emission, and climate-resilient practices.[7]
"Only through shared resolve and international cooperation, can we address the challenges of our time, and realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda."
In China, where the ocean economy accounts for 7.9% of GDP, UNDP has been working to protect and restore marine ecosystems through regional cooperation initiatives like the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) project. This initiative addresses overfishing, restores marine biodiversity, and promotes sustainable coastal development, directly advancing SDG 14.[8]
Building on these efforts, we are particularly thrilled to have signed the first two financial agreements with CIDCA earlier today on a multi-country initiative to develop actionable early warning systems that help to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities to climate change.
Indeed, as climate-related natural disasters become increasingly frequent, having effective early warning systems in place and mainstreaming disaster risk mitigation into development strategies are more important than ever, to protect lives, livelihoods, and the ecosystems they rely on.
Moving forward, we stand ready to continue working with China, and all countries, to safeguard and restore critical ecosystems, including the oceans, and embed sustainable development in the blue economy.
This cannot be accomplished by any single nation alone. Only through shared resolve and international cooperation, can we address the challenges of our time, and realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.
In closing, I want to once again thank the Government of China, CIDCA and the co-hosts for the efforts in organizing this critical forum and extend my congratulations on its success.
Let us build on our discussions and the partnerships established here, and carry forward the momentum to advance collective efforts for “blue action, and solidarity” – as Chairman Luo put it in the morning – towards a more sustainable future where humanity exists in harmony with nature.
Thank you very much! 谢谢大家
[1] https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/ocean
[2][3] https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets
[4] https://impact-investor.com/un-ocean-conference-sdg-14-still-most-underfunded/
[5] https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/965641473449861013/main-report
[6] https://sdgs.un.org/topics/oceans-and-seas
[7] https://www.undp.org/malaysia/speeches/blue-economy-supporting-world-achieving-sdg-sabah-international-blue-economy-conference-sibec-2024
[8] https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/yellow-sea-large-marine-ecosystem-yslme#description
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