NEW DELHI: The One Ocean Summit, which is to be held in France in February, will be an opportunity to gather political leaders and all stakeholders ready to make a decisive contribution with bold, tangible and actionable initiatives and commitments, India said on Wednesday.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, in a virtual meeting with French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain, said India is fully determined to protect its maritime interests, while it supports the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, as mandated under the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS), 1982.
During the meeting, the minister underlined the urgent need for action to prevent and reduce marine litter, but stressed voluntary domestic action by countries.
"Held a virtual meeting with French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain. Fruitful discussions on issues related to One Ocean Summit, Cooperation on Plastic Pollution and the Global Treaty on Plastics, High Ambition Coalition and upcoming @UNBiodiversity COP15," the minister tweeted after the meeting.
Yadav also mentioned an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during World Environment Day 2018 for elimination of single-use plastics in India by 2022.
In the meeting, both sides also discussed in detail the issues concerning the High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), and how it should not undermine existing relevant legal instruments, frameworks and relevant global, regional and sectoral bodies, the Environment Ministry said.
"Both sides further discussed how COP 15 will help in developing a holistic Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) taking into account poverty eradication, means of implementation and resource mobilisation, etc. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides agreed to further strengthen activities in 2022 under the Indo-French Year of Environment," it said.