Excellences,
Distinguished Participants, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hungary aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
Allow me to thank the President of the General Assembly H. E. Mr Peter Thomson, as well as the co-presidents of the conference from Fiji and Sweden for the opportunity to share commitments on preserving the health of the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources, as well as creating a platform for action on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.
Hungary is a landlocked country, but has been dedicated to the elaboration and to the implementation of the Agenda 2030 from the very beginning. The core value of the SDGs lies in the interconnectivity of the goals and targets, therefore the ambitious objectives cannot succeed without each other. We are equally committed to the Paris Agreement; having been the first EU Member State to ratify it in order to foster an early entry into force.
We acknowledge that many nations are dependent on the health of the oceans and seas for their survival. The further deterioration of the current status of oceans will affect us all. Preserving and sustainably managing oceans resources is a challenge of global nature requiring partnership based on cooperation by all stakeholders.
Hungary is committed to this cooperation as a member of several international organizations and agreements on preserving and protecting the health and the biodiversity of rivers and oceans, for example the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube river, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Standing Committee of the Washington Convention.
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Water connects! This has been the motto of the Budapest Water Summit of 2013 and 2016, reflecting Hungary’s engagement in linking policy makers to all key players, who are active in the international water arena, including on strengthening the science policy interface. Paraphrasing that idea, we also believe that ‘Oceans connect us all’!
Hungary, as co-moderator of the dialogue on improving the integration and coordination of the work of the UN on the water-related SDGs encourages closer cooperation among countries and nations at political, researcher and implementation level. Being part of conflict prevention, this shall contribute to achieving sustainable peace and development in the longer run!
Thank you for your attention.
