Soon after his arrival at Lisbon, Portugal for the 5-day UN Ocean Conference beginning tomorrow, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today held a pre-conference meeting with Indian delegates and Embassy officials to assess the preparation by the Indian side and to deliberate on the stand to be taken by the Indian delegation on various issues likely to be raised at the meet.

More than 130 countries are participating in the UN Ocean Conference at Lisbon from 27th of June to 1st of July 2022.

Dr Jitendra Singh observed that the Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, comes at a critical time when the world is seeking to address many of the deep-rooted problems of our societies laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has taken a lead in these global endeavours. The Minister added that this will require major structural transformations and common shared solutions that are anchored in SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Dr Jitendra Singh said India will bring to the plate, the much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action to “Save our Ocean and Protect the Future”.  Dr Jitendra Singh will deliver the Keynote address at the UN Conference on the theme “Scaling up Ocean Action based on Science and Innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, Partnerships and Solutions”. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India will take active take part in deliberations and suggest solutions on issues like marine pollution, promoting and strengthening sustainable ocean-based economies, managing, protecting, conserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, managing and addressing ocean acidification, deoxygenation and ocean warming and making fisheries sustainable. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, under PM Narendra Modi, India would be providing science and innovation-based solutions for the implementation of Goal 14 through partnerships and environmentally friendly solutions. He said, India has well established collaboration and partnerships with UN Agencies and Research Institutions for bridging the methodology and data gaps on SDG indicators and working towards UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021–2030, for clean, healthy, productive, predictive, safe and accessible ocean.

Reiterating India’s deep rooted commitment for saving Oceans and its resources, Dr Jitendra Singh refereed to today’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by Prime Minister Modi, wherein he said, “the pollution caused by plastic was also increasing on the sea coast of Puducherry, therefore, to save its sea, beaches and ecology, people here have started the 'Recycling for Life' campaign. Today, thousands of kilograms of garbage is collected and segregated every day in Karaikal, Puducherry”. 

At the end of deliberations, the Conference will adopt, by consensus, a brief, concise, action-oriented and inter-governmentally agreed declaration focusing on, and highlighting, the science-based and innovative areas of action to support the implementation of Goal 14 and a report containing the co-chairs’ summaries of the interactive dialogues. 

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SNC/RR

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