UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The world's Ocean takes center stage this month with new exhibitions now on display at United Nations Headquarters and across the five boroughs of New York City.
The exhibitions were launched by the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly to coincide with the United Nations Ocean Conference, taking place on June 5-9 in New York, the office said Tuesday.
Participants include the Co-Presidents of the Conference, Sweden and Fiji, the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, private sector partners, and Project Zero.
The Ocean covers an astonishing 70 percent of the planet's surface. Its abundance, temperature, chemistry, currents and teeming variety of life drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humanity.
Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly, highlighted the significance of the dilemma planet Earth faces: "In these challenging times, there are few phenomena of greater importance to the sustainability of our species on this planet than the health of the Ocean and the ominous threat of climate change."
"Presented to draw attention to the challenges we face in the conservation and sustainably use the Ocean and marine resources for development, the exhibitions highlight how partnerships, technology, community-inspired action, and public participation offer innovative solutions to preserve the majesty of the Ocean, and invite us to consider how we can collectively act to stop its terrible decline," said the office.
The exhibition explores a rebirth of traditional navigation and sailing techniques around the southern Pacific; the plague of marine litter; the beauty of the world's underwater biodiversity; stories of resilience and community action; and the devastation "ghost-nets" cause to marine life, through sculptures by Indigenous Australian artists, according to the office.
"This ambitious exhibition celebrates the creativity and dynamism of contemporary Indigenous cultures and highlights the important role that Indigenous artists and communities play in protecting coastal environments," said Gillian Bird, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN.
