The General Assembly today approved the political declaration from the United Nations Ocean Conference, establishing multilateral governance of the oceans. It also adopted a $5.38 billion budget for peacekeeping operations for the fiscal year starting 1 July.
Entitled “Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action” (A/79/L.97), the declaration was adopted by acclamation following the Conference held earlier this month in Nice, France. However, the formal approval today by the Assembly’s 193 Member States required a recorded vote, with 162 in favor, 1 against (United States), and no abstentions.
Several delegations objected to the need for a vote. The French representative, co-host of the Conference with Costa Rica, described the strong political declaration and its forward-looking initiatives as “a victory for the ocean.” The delegate from Costa Rica emphasized that “the ocean knows no borders,” and neither should our efforts to protect it, reaffirming his country’s “unwavering” commitment to ocean protection. He welcomed the momentum gained at the Conference toward a swift entry into force of the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). He also praised commitments to the WTO agreement to end harmful fisheries subsidies and decisive support for a convention on plastic pollution as soon as possible.
The Brazilian representative stressed that the seas are “the planet’s main climate regulator” but are now “running a fever.” The Australian delegate viewed the adoption of the text as a sign of collective commitment to confronting the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution. The U.S. delegate stated that the focus on implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) is inconsistent with their position on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Iraq’s delegate said that achieving SDG 14 requires more ambitious financial actions, honoring commitments under intergovernmental agreements, and increasing resources for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The Venezuelan delegate joined the consensus but reiterated her country is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which she stated is “not the sole legal and regulatory framework” for oceans and seas — a position echoed by Iran, Turkey, and El Salvador.
Argentina’s representative dissociated from all paragraphs referencing the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future, as well as from any provisions that conflict with the guiding principles of life, liberty, and private property protection.
The Russian Federation dissociated from consensus on paragraph 26 of the declaration, which supports the early entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement, arguing that it infringes on provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention and the Fish Stocks Agreement and encroaches on the mandates of fisheries organizations.
Japan welcomed the adoption as “not the end, but only the beginning of our renewed commitment to achieving SDG 14,” while Singapore reaffirmed that the Law of the Sea Convention remains “the constitution of the oceans” and urged Member States to fully respect it.
$5.38 Billion Budget for UN Peacekeeping Operations
Based on recommendations from its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly allocated $5.38 billion to 11 UN peacekeeping missions, the support account for peacekeeping operations, the Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, and the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi. These resolutions were adopted without a vote — except for the one on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (A/C.5/79/L.36/Rev.1), adopted by 147 votes in favor, 3 against (Argentina, United States, Israel), and 1 abstention (Paraguay). An oral amendment proposed by Israel was rejected (5 in favor, 83 against, and 57 abstentions).
The Assembly also adopted a resolution titled “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects” (A/79/424/Add.1), forwarded by the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization).
Combating Illicit Wildlife Trafficking
By a vote of 157 in favor, 1 against (United States), and no abstentions, the Assembly adopted a resolution (A/79/L.96), introduced by Germany, urging Member States to intensify efforts and implement effective measures — including special investigative techniques in line with Article 20 of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime — to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and punish crimes affecting the environment, such as illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, including poaching and illegal logging.
The U.S. delegate explained their opposition by stating that such issues should be handled within crime-focused forums in Vienna rather than the General Assembly. They also objected to the term “gender mainstreaming,” insisting on the “biological reality of sex.” Argentina dissociated from references to the 2030 Agenda and to provisions conflicting with the protection of life and private property (notably preamble paragraphs 1, 2, 18, 34 and operative paragraph 27).
Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance to Combat Hate Speech
The Assembly also adopted, by a recorded vote of 111 in favor, 1 against (United States), and 44 abstentions, a resolution (A/79/L.98) introduced by Morocco on combating hate speech. The resolution calls on Member States to improve understanding of the spread and impact of hate speech while respecting international human rights law and relevant UN instruments, particularly the Rabat Plan of Action. It also urges tech companies and AI developers to implement solutions and publicly report actions to counter potential harms — including hate speech, bias, and discrimination — from AI-generated content, through safeguards such as data integrity, protection during model training, content labeling, watermarking, and authentication techniques.
Poland, on behalf of the European Union (which abstained), highlighted concerns that freedom of religion applies to individuals, not objects or symbols, expressing reservations about preambular paragraph 14. Costa Rica and Switzerland echoed this concern, emphasizing that hate speech cannot be addressed at the expense of freedom of expression. Switzerland also noted that international law does not recognize “defamation of religion” as a legal concept.
Hungary objected to operative paragraph 23, which focuses on migrants. The UK, also abstaining, opposed language that criticizes religion as incitement to hatred.
Brazil dissociated from paragraphs 11, 12, and 13, citing the lack of an agreed definition of hate speech and its potential for politicization. Canada supported freedom of belief and welcomed the focus on new technologies but expressed concern over paragraph 14’s wording regarding attacks on religious symbols and holy books.
The Wiphala: Living in Harmony with Mother Earth
The Assembly also adopted, by 139 votes in favor, 2 against (United States, Israel), and 5 abstentions (Canada, Georgia, Paraguay, Peru, Türkiye), a resolution (A/79/L.95) presented by Bolivia. The text recognizes the Wiphala as “an age-old symbol rooted in the deepest traditions of Indigenous peoples,” representing the “seven colors of the rainbow” and the principle of living in harmony with Mother Earth. The resolution calls on the international community to promote understanding, tolerance, and solidarity among all peoples and cultures and to intensify efforts to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, especially toward Indigenous peoples, and to respect the diversity of their cultural expressions, traditions, practices, and knowledge systems.
