Statement by Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski, Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Second Committee regarding the Protection of Coral Reefs for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development, as delivered 18 November 2010.
(as delivered)
Madam Chair
Australia has the honour to introduce this draft resolution on behalf of the Pacific states of Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, on the protection of coral reefs for sustainable livelihoods and development.
This is an issue which goes to the heart of the Second Committee’s work on sustainable livelihoods, food security, economic development and the negative impacts of climate change. It is an issue that cuts across regions, as evidenced by the diverse list of co-sponsors, from across the Pacific, Caribbean, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Madam Chair
Coral reef ecosystems across the world are under threat. This year’s extreme heat is putting the world’s coral reefs under such severe stress that there are predictions of widespread die-off, which would endanger ecosystems that feed millions of people.
Coral reef ecosystems line the coastal areas of over 100 States and provide food and resources with an average annual value estimated at $172 billion for approximately 500 million people worldwide.
Despite their importance, coral reefs are undergoing rapid degradation due to climate change and ocean acidification, combined with the synergistic effects of overfishing, destructive fishing practices, waste run-off and alien invasive species.
The result is a decline in the abundance of corals at the rate of up to two per cent per year which, according to some estimates, will result in coral ecosystems largely disappearing by 2050.
Coral reefs are a leading indicator of the effects of climate change.
They are also integral to the sustainable development of small island developing states and must be protected if we are to achieve the international development goals we have set – and reaffirmed most recently during UNGA 65 in the MDGs, CBD and MSI Summits.
Madam Chair
Given the critical importance of coral reefs to sustainable development, and the alarming trend in their decline, it is timely that the General Assembly gives consideration to the issue.
The main objective of the resolution is to place the protection of coral reefs in a sustainable development framework. The resolution links the need to protect coral reefs to issues such as economic vulnerability, food security, and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
The resolution includes an urgent call to action for the protection of coral reefs and related ecosystems. It also requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the issue, including an analysis of the economic, social and environmental benefits of protecting the reefs. We believe such a report will provide an important input into the Rio + 20 preparatory process.
Madam Chair
This is an issue affecting half a billion people living on island and coastal states, and which is of importance to the global community as a whole. It is time we placed it on the agenda of the General Assembly. We look forward to the adoption of this important resolution by consensus.