UAE joins High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy

ABU DHABI / WAM

The UAE has joined the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), a group of heads of state advocating for sustainable management of the ocean.The UAE is the first country in the Mena region to join the panel and was invited on the basis of its climate and biodiversity leadership.The announcement was made on September 25 when world leaders and representatives of the panel’s 18 other members convened at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City.
Founded in 2018 and co-chaired by Norway and Palau, the Ocean Panel recognizes that the ocean, the world’s largest ecosystem, is in a state of emergency due to climate change, pollution, and overfishing.To reverse these trends, members are committing to sustainably manage 100% of the ocean areas within their national jurisdictions and to support a global target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been appointed the UAE’s Sherpa and High-Level Representative to the Ocean Panel.Al Mubarak said that protecting the ocean will help solve several key challenges facing humanity. “A healthy ocean is key to sustaining life on our blue planet. It is the world’s largest ecosystem, regulates the climate, and supplies valuable resources,” said Al Mubarak, who is also UN Climate Change High Level Champion for the leadership team of COP28 UAE.
She highlighted the UAE’s commitment to the Ocean Panel, and to working alongside global partners to enhance the protection of nature and support sustainable development for ocean-dependent communities.According to Al Mubarak, the benefits of managing the ocean and its marine ecosystems sustainably go beyond the achievement of biodiversity goals. Protecting the ocean will help to reduce levels of greenhouse emissions, while also supporting sustainable livelihoods around the globe.