On February 9, the Wilson Center and the Embassy of Greece in Washington, DC hosted a special dialogue on Greece’s goals for the 9th Our Ocean Conference, the international event scheduled to take place in Athens, Greece, on April 15 to 17.
The event in Washington D.C. featured Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis and the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.
The Greek Foreign Minister took the opportunity to highlight the Hellenic candidacy for the UN Security Council for the biennium 2025/26, stressing that the 9th OCC is an excellent precursor to developments in the field of environmental protection within the United Nations.
“Being a contracting party to all major international environmental conventions, treaties and protocols, Greece has set the climate peace and security nexus as a priority for our candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2025-2026” said the Minister. “Through the Athens conference, Greece aspires to reaffirm its commitment to transition to a blue economy and to utilize the advantages of a new balance between economic growth, social cohesion, and sustainability” he added.
He further pointed out that it is no coincidence that “the ‘9th Our Ocean Conference’ will be the first that will convene after the adoption of the BBNJ Treaty, an Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond Natural Jurisdiction under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, covering more than two-thirds of the oceans”.
Remarks by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis
Watch the event:
