Secretary-General Addresses 2022 UN Ocean Conference

Secretary-General António Guterres delivers opening remarks to the United Nations 2022 Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

"The ocean connects us all. Sadly, we have taken the ocean for granted, and today we face what I would call an "Ocean Emergency". We must turn the tide... We cannot have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean," said the Secretary-General.

The Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, comes at a critical time as the world is seeking to address many of the deep-rooted problems of our societies laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and which will require major structural transformations and common shared solutions that are anchored in the SDGs. To mobilize action, the Conference is seeking to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.