Oceans and Law of the Sea

A report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan finds increasing reports of torture in that country’s detention facilities.  Almost a third of those detained for security or terrorism-related offences reported torture or other ill-treatment.  

The resumed in‑person plenary meeting of the thirtieth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was held at United Nations Headquarters on 9 December 2020, concluding all the items on the agenda of the thirtieth Meeting.  The background press release can be found here:  www.un.org/press/en/2020/sea2128.doc.htm.

The thirtieth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will resume its work at an in‑person meeting on 9 December.

The General Assembly adopted a draft resolution today on sustainable fisheries, and postponed action on a second text on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as delegates reflected on how the COVID‑19 pandemic derailed what should have been a watershed year for international action on the world’s oceans.

In light of the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the thirtieth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, which was originally scheduled to be held at United Nations Headquarters from 15 to 19 June, was postponed.

The World Food Programme in South Sudan strongly condemned an attack on its boat convoy near Shambe carrying food assistance intended for people displaced after losing their homes and crops to floods.  One of the 13-person crew is missing and presumed killed, and three others are suffering from gunshot wounds.

The United Nations is increasingly concerned about the impact of Syria’s economic downturn.  Food prices there have more than tripled in the past year, a record 9.3 million people are food insecure, and without future support, over 2 million more risk being pushed further into hunger, according to the World Food Programme.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Maritime Day, observed on 24 September:

The in-person plenary meeting of the thirtieth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was held, under strict COVID-19 preventive and risk-mitigation measures, at Headquarters from 24 to 26 August.

In light of the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea decided to postpone the thirtieth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, which was originally scheduled to be held at United Nations Headquarters from 15 to 19 June 2020 pursuant to paragraph 56 of General Assembly resolution 74/19 of 10 December 2019, to a period from 24 to 28 August 2020, subject to the availability of a conference room and conference services.