The Portuguese presence will be represented at the highest political level by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Environment and Energy, the Minister of Agriculture and Sea, and the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to the marine conservation and sustainable blue economy agenda, stated the office of Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAE) stated that the Government will convey at the Nice conference that ocean protection is a strategic priority, both environmentally and economically.
“The ocean is one of the nation’s main assets and plays a crucial role in combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and creating new sustainable development opportunities, particularly through oceanic renewable energies, blue biotechnology, scientific research, and the enhancement of marine ecosystem services,” emphasized the same source.
Key commitments highlighted by the Government include a legislative proposal to create the Gorringe marine protected area, noted for its high ecological value and part of the Natura 2000 Network since 2015 as a Special Conservation Zone.
According to the ministry, this new formal classification, with a robust technical foundation by 2024 supported by the Environmental Fund and in collaboration with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, is awaiting only legislative formalization, which may occur soon.
The Government will also introduce a new legal framework for the “creation and management of oceanic marine protected areas, enabling coverage of remote, deep, and biodiversity-rich zones, such as Gorringe itself and other areas in the Madeira-Tore region.”
For the Ministry of Environment, UNOC3 will succeed if it achieves concrete commitments regarding marine conservation, sustainable financing, high-seas protection, integrated governance of ocean ecosystems, and scientific cooperation among countries.
Maria da Graça Carvalho’s agenda includes a bilateral meeting with Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagensen, to strengthen Iberian cooperation in ocean protection and a reception on the Santa Maria Manuela ship to discuss the importance of deep-sea ecosystem protection and Portugal’s role in promoting science-based solutions and multilateral action.
The third ocean conference will be held in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, following the first conference in New York and the second in Lisbon.
The theme will be “accelerating action and mobilizing all stakeholders to conserve and sustainably use the oceans.”
