Pakistan emphasized the imperative of addressing the myriad challenges confronting the world’s oceans, vital for sustaining life on Earth. Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, conveyed concerns at a meeting of the parties to the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS), highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.
Ambassador Jadoon pointed out that marine biodiversity is suffering due to over-exploitation and ocean acidification, with a significant portion of fish stocks harvested unsustainably. He also highlighted the pollution of coastal waters with chemicals, plastics, and other waste, exacerbating environmental degradation.
Moreover, he emphasized that climate change is further exacerbating these challenges by warming the oceans, disrupting weather patterns, and altering marine ecosystems.
The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention provides a comprehensive legal framework for the use and protection of the sea and marine environment. Ambassador Jadoon commended the efforts of UNCLOS’s three bodies—the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), and the International Seabed Authority (ISA)—in addressing these issues.
He particularly praised ITLOS’s advisory opinion on climate change and international law, emphasizing states’ obligations under UNCLOS to mitigate marine pollution from greenhouse gas emissions.
Ambassador Jadoon reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to UNCLOS and its 1994 Implementing Agreement on the 30th anniversary of its entry into force. He also reiterated Pakistan’s support for the 2030 Agenda, including Sustainable Development Goal 14, focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans.
