“Oceans are essential to supporting life on Earth and are of great economic, social, and cultural significance to all countries, including 183 coastal countries and island states.”
This was one of three key statements compiled by a team of 375 ocean stakeholders from 46 countries at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Conference).
The statements were released as an OCEAN DECLARATION following an Ocean Day event that took place in Rio de Janeiro on 16 June 2012.
The Co-Chairs of The Oceans Day at Rio+20 produced the Rio Ocean Declaration, which addresses priority action items for oceans, coasts, and SIDS, both at the Rio+20 Conference and in the post-Rio+20 world, and also contains a list of commitments and new initiatives highlighted at The Oceans Day (attached). The Rio Ocean Declaration was produced in collaboration with the co-organizers of The Oceans Day and with input from members of the Global Ocean Forum (comprised of ocean leaders from 110 countries).
Dr Hashali Hamukuaya, Executive Secretary of the Benguela Current Commission and other representatives of the African LME Caucus played a key role in formulating and approving the Ocean Declaration. Click here to read the full text of the Ocean Declaration http://gcft.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Rio-Ocean-Declaration.pdf

The Oceans Day at Rio+20 featured presentations and remarks by:
Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum
Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO)
Ms. Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Coordinator for the Rio+20 Conference
Ambassador Isabelle Picco, Permanent Mission of Monaco to the United Nations
Dr. Gustavo Fonseca, Head, Division of Natural Resources, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Mr. Wang Hong, Deputy Administrator, State Oceanic Administration, People’s Republic of China
Mr. Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Mr. Su’a N.F. Tanielu, Director-General, Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
Mr. Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues, Seychelles
Dr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Director, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation, UNEP
Mr. Karl Falkenberg, Directorate-General Environment, European Commission
Ms. Rachel Kyte, Vice President for the Sustainable Development Network, World Bank
Dr. Braulio F. de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
Mr. Hiroshi Terashima, Executive Director, Ocean Policy Research Foundation, Japan

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin produced a short summary of The Oceans Day. The short summary is available at http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/sd/ymbvol200num4e.pdf). The Global Ocean Forum will be producing a substantive summary of the event. For more information visit: www.globaloceans.org