België voert tijdens UNGA81 actief campagne voor de vestiging van het BBNJ-secretariaat in Brussel

During the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Belgium is prioritizing the protection of the ocean. The Minister for Justice and the North Sea, Annelies Verlinden, is particularly emphasizing Belgium’s commitment. She is actively campaigning in New York for Brussels to host the secretariat of the new BBNJ Agreement on the protection of biodiversity in the high seas. Belgium is taking advantage of the presence of heads of state, ministers and international organisations in New York to rally support for its bid. Through various events, our country is drawing attention to the importance of a healthy ocean and the swift implementation of the BBNJ Agreement. Belgium took part in the high-level meeting entitled ‘Addressing the existential threats posed by sea-level rise’. This event aims to mobilise the international community in the face of increasingly rapid sea-level rise, which threatens nearly a billion people by 2050, mainly in vulnerable coastal areas and island states, and which has major consequences, particularly in terms of security, development and the economy. Furthermore, Belgium organised, in collaboration with Cabo Verde, the recept...