The united kingdom is a founding member of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance launched and the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon earlier this year. Despite duties on Declares to protect marine environment, the healthiness of the ocean has significantly degraded due to human actions, including from industries directly regulated by UNCLOS. This legal framework is applicable in the South China Sea as it also applies throughout the rest of the world’s ocean and seas. In that context, the UK underlines importance of unhampered workout of the freedoms of the high seas, in particular the freedom of navigation and overflight, and of the right of blameless passage enshrined in UNCLOS. Mr. President, The UK recognises, however , that will challenges to ocean governance remain. The UK recognises the particular concerns of the member nations of the Pacific Island Discussion board and Alliance of Little Island States (AOSIS) with regards to the stability of their maritime limitations in the face of sea level rise. Because the leader of the Global Ocean Alliance, and Ocean co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature & People alongside Costa Rica and Italy, and a member of the High Desire Coalition for Biodiversity Outside of National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), the UK looks forward to the summary of an ambitious BBNJ Contract at the resumed fifth program of the intergovernmental conference in February 2023. It has made a significant contribution to global peace, prosperity and protection by providing consistency and certainty about ocean governance. It provides the legal framework for all those maritime activities. The United Kingdom is usually committed to upholding its guidelines and securing the implementation of its rights and obligations. The UN Meeting on the Law of the Sea – UNCLOS – is really a major achievement of diplomacy and international law. It is a critical part of the rules-based international system.
