21 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2017

[ARCHIVO] President Bachelet participates in high-level meeting, “The Oceans – A Wealth of Opportunities”

President Bachelet participated this morning in the high-level meeting, “The Oceans – A Wealth of Opportunities” at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. She was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Heraldo Muñoz, Environment Minister Marcelo Mena and Social Development Minister Marcos Barraza.

The President emphasized that “our commitment to the prosperity and wellbeing of our citizens cannot be dissociated from economic growth. We therefore need to accept, once and for all, that long-term growth and true development are impossible without an active environmental protection policy.

The objective of the event was to promote international actions and partnerships that will enhance conservation and the sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources. One of the goals was to share experiences and knowledge in order to identify sustainable solutions to today’s challenges. The meeting therefore sought to ensure closer coordination between the different initiatives related to the issue.

“The need to raise awareness of the dangers affecting the ocean today is a challenge for all countries, international organizations, the private sector and civil society. We need to continue taking concrete action to counteract the threats posed by illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing, ocean acidification and plastic marine pollution,” added the President.

Chile has opted to contribute to global ocean governance at multiple levels. For example, it actively participated in the second version of the “Our Ocean” initiative and made commitments like adherence to the New York Agreement on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (1995). Likewise, Chile has expanded its cooperation programs to include the management of coastal areas.

Closing her remarks, President Bachelet noted, ” we are working on our first National Ocean Policy to bring harmony and coherence to our ocean regulations as they relate to SDG14 and other directly related objectives. This is a catalyst for action by the State, along with civil society and the private sector.

“Our future is tied to the ocean and it needs our attention and action now,” she concluded.