Rio+20 Ocean Commitments in a Nutshell

The Rio+20 Sustainable Development conference made some significant commitments to protecting the oceans which will be used to hold world leaders to account. For a full summary of these ocean commitments please see below.

"The Future We Want," The Ocean We Need

Following Rio+20, the High Seas Alliance and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition have issued a Blueprint for Urgent Action on Oceans.

Read the report.  Photo courtesy of Leopard House Design

Disappointment for oceans campaigners as Rio+20 Earth Summit fails to deliver

There's a low-key end to the Rio+20 Earth Summit, with campaigners and scientists criticising missed opportunities and lack of progress to protect the world's oceans. Charlotte Smith of Oceans Inc takes the temperature as the summit draws to a close.

Oceans experts deliver verdict on Rio+20 outcomes

Scientists, legal experts and campaigners attending the Rio+20 Earth Summit have expressed frustration and disappointment at the lack of progress on oceans protection. They were speaking at a debate organised by the International Programme for the State of the Ocean (IPSO) on the penultimate day of the summit.

We all have a stake in stopping threats to the oceans

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke yesterday at a celebration of the formation of the Global Partnership for Oceans (GPO), on the sidelines of the UN Rio+20 Conference.

He said the GPO alliance “is based on the understanding that we all have a stake in stopping threats to the world’s oceans.”

Rio+20 in Numbers

Over nine days, thousands of events were held in the lead-up to and during Rio+20, including more than 500 official and side events at the Riocentro Convention Center, where the conference was held.

Rio+20 was the biggest UN conference ever held, with broad participation of leaders from Government, business and civil society, as well as UN officials, academics, journalists and the general public. Read on for some key figures from Rio+20.

Governments urged to combat illegal fishing in the Coral Triangle by enacting traceability measures

The Coral Triangle Fishers Forum has called for fisheries stakeholders in the Suva, Fiji region to help address the urgent and critical problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security’s (CTI-CFF) achievements to date and lay out the vision and call to action for its future.

Interview with Antonio Garcia Allut: Developing Marine Protected Areas

Just before addressing Heads of State and Governments at a High Level Round-Table, Antonio Garcia Allut, Lonxanat Foundation for Artisanal Sustainable Fishing (Spain) discusses his experience developing marine protected areas co-managed by artisanal fishers.

Yolanda Kakabatse: Marine Biodiversity Conservation at Rio+20

Yolanda Kakabatse, President, WWF-International, discusses the challenges of marine biodiversity conservation at Rio+20.

Natural Capital Declaration launched at Rio+20 Earth Summit.

Some of the biggest names in banking and industry have been joined by governments and investors to back the launch of a "natural capital declaration" at the Rio+20 Earth Summit. The declaration aims to put a financial value on the role nature plays in the global economy.

Indigenous peoples demand action to protect nature at Rio+20

A hard-hitting film made by Kogi tribesmen from Colombia is grabbing attention at the Rio+20 Earth Summit. 20 years after the Kogi left their homes to lobby at the original Earth Summit, they're in Rio again to demand more respect for nature.

Campaigners brand Earth Summit a "damp squib" in rain-hit Rio

As the Rio+20 Earth Summit heads into its final hours, there's a sense of anti-climax and disillusionment among environmental campaigners, scientists and activists. Charlotte Smith of Oceans Inc reflects on missed opportunities and disappointing outcomes.

No Future We Want Without the Ocean We Need

The ocean received an unprecedented level of attention during the Rio+20 Conference becoming one of the most high visibility issues and the last piece of text to be resolved.

In contrast to 1992, attention on the ocean was significant and led to protracted and heated debate within the negotiations.

20 years on, civil society leads in Rio – IUCN

Governments are leaving the UN's Sustainable Development Summit (Rio +20) with a big deal but little action.

Groups of civil society and business have proved they can lead the way towards a sustainable future.

Los participantes en Rio+20 se esmeran en explotar los mínimos avances del acuerdo

Puede haber vida bajo las quietas aguas de Río+20, después de todo. 

La declaración que más de cien gobernantes prevén firmar hoy seguía concitando anoche toda clase de críticas por su bajo vuelo y falta de metas concretas; más que a mejorarlo sustancialmente, los líderes más descontentos aspiraban como mucho a consensuar un anexo para enriquecer el texto de algún modo.

The Real State of the Ocean

As the Rio+20 summit approaches its final day, and following the failure to implement protecting agreements for the High seas at Rio, the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and the High Seas Alliance (HSA) examined the real state of the ocean and what the oceans text from Rio+20 means practically – on the water.

Ban Ki-moon urges world leaders to act on sustainability

UN secretary general defends scope of summit agreement, but says it is 'merely a piece of paper' unless leaders take action.

Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, called on world leaders to step up their political commitment to sustainability yesterday, with an acknowledgement that negotiations have so far failed to live up to hopes.

Sylvia Earle's clear message: Act now to save our oceans

Speaking at a roundtable with world governments in the Rio+20 process, world renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle urged world leaders to act now to save our oceans.

"I was here 20 years ago, we all hope to be here in 20 years. This is an historical occasion. Will we look back and lament on what we didn't do?"

Exclusive Interview with Achim Steiner

Remi Parmentier from oceans inc interviews Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations about what is next after Rio+20.

Civil society leaders assess state of play as Rio summit faces epic failure

Civil society groups provided a critical assessment of the negotiations at Rio, and "a new definition of hypocrisy" as we reach the middle of the Summit.

Leaders from Oxfam, WWF, Greenpeace, NRDC and the International Trade Union Confederation – organized in the Climate Action Network (CAN) and the global TckTckTck campaign claimed world leaders were standing the in way of progress and are failing so far to challenge the text of the draft outcome document.