Singapore to send delegation to UN Ocean Conference

Singapore will be sending a delegation led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan to the UN Ocean Conference, which will be held from June 9 to 13 in Nice, France.

- Audrey Tan

NICE, France -

The Republic will serve as one of the vice-presidents of the conference, which supports the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on June 8.

Jointly hosted by France and Costa Rica, the summit convenes high-level representatives from governments, international and regional organisations and civil society. Its aim is for countries to adopt an "action-oriented and inter-governmentally agreed declaration", dubbed the Nice Ocean Action Plan, according to the United Nations.

MFA said in the statement - coincidentally issued on World Ocean Day - that Dr Balakrishnan will deliver Singapore's national statement on the topic at the conference.

He will also speak on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) at an event on scientific cooperation for ocean health. Aosis is a grouping of 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states including Singapore, Palau, the Maldives and Belize.