UNITED NATIONS - Top United Nations officials Monday urged coordinated global action to protect the planet when an international conference on the health of the world's oceans and seas opened here.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned governments that unless they overcome short-term territorial and resource interests, the state of the oceans will continue to deteriorate, when he addressed his first major UN conference since taking office.
UN Ocean Conference opened Monday morning with a traditional Fijian ceremony at the UN General Assembly.
"Improving the health of our oceans is a test for multilateralism, and we cannot afford to fail," the secretary-general said.
"We must jointly address the problems of governance that have held us back," he said, calling for a new strategic vision of how to govern the oceans and marine resources.
One of the main challenges, he said, is to end the "artificial dichotomy" between jobs and healthy oceans. "The conservation and sustainable use of marine resources are two sides of the same coin," he noted.
The UN chief called for strong political leadership and new partnerships, based on the existing legal framework, and concrete steps, such as expanding marine protected areas and reducing plastic waste pollution. (Xinhua)