Atlantic nations commit to environmental, economic cooperation on sidelines of UN meeting
The Hindu
“More than 30 Atlantic countries on four continents committed, on September 18, to bolster coordination on economic development, environmental protection, maritime issues and more,” the White House said.
“More than 30 Atlantic countries on four continents committed, on September 18, to bolster coordination on economic development, environmental protection, maritime issues and more,” the White House said.
The adoption of the Declaration on Atlantic Cooperation was completed on Monday evening at a meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of the start of the annual UN General Assembly meeting.
“The Atlantic connects and sustains us like never before,” Mr. Blinken told the gathering. He noted that the Atlantic hosts the largest amount of international shipping and, through undersea cables, is a thoroughfare for data traffic than any other ocean.
However, he said the Atlantic is also threatened by climate change, which has brought stronger and more devastating storms to vulnerable coastal communities and illegal fishing. “It's the heating and cooling of the Atlantic that is driving global climate and weather patterns,” he said.
The declaration includes a commitment to an open Atlantic region free from interference, coercion or aggressive action. The signatories also agreed to uphold sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of states, and recognises the role that each of the nations play in the Atlantic.
The effort to tighten coordination between coastal Atlantic countries across Africa, Europe, North America and South America was launched on the sidelines of last year's General Assembly with the creation of the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, a forum conceived by the Biden administration.
Nations that endorsed Monday's declaration are: Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Spain, Togo, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay.
Violent protests in Pakistan by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lead to deaths and injuries, prompting army deployment and shoot at sight orders.
Russian tourist found dead in Uttarakhand hot spring, believed to have died of heart attack; body being sent to Russia.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh join armed struggle in Myanmar, raising concerns of escalating violence and regional involvement.
Lebanese Shia Muslims suffer in Israel-Hezbollah war, fearing unfair targeting and escalating conflict across Lebanon.
President Joe Biden pardons turkeys Peach and Blossom, marking the start of his last holiday season at the White House.
President-elect Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China to combat illegal immigration and drugs.
State Department Spokesperson defers to Department of Justice on Adani indictment, leading to disruptions in Indian Parliament.
Justice Department drops case against Trump, citing policy against prosecuting sitting Presidents, ending landmark effort to hold him accountable.
Protests erupt in Dhaka demanding release of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested for flag insult allegations.
The 29th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP29), held at Baku in Azerbaijan, is arguably the most important of the United Nations’ climate conferences. It was supposed to conclude on November 22, after nearly 11 days of negotiations and the whole purpose was for the world to take a collective step forward in addressing rising carbon emissions.
Global negotiations aim to create a U.N.-mediated treaty to end plastic pollution, with focus on production and management.