In the seventh webinar of the 2021 Development Matters lecture series, which is supported by Irish Aid, Ambassador Peter Thomson, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, addresses the importance of the Ocean and of the Sustainable Blue Economy for Small Island Developing States in the context of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. He also reflects on opportunities for Ireland to act as a catalyst for Ocean action.

Ambassador Peter Thomson is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, in which role he drives global support for Sustainable Development Goal 14, to conserve and sustainably use the Ocean’s resources. He served as President of the UN General Assembly from 2016-2017. He was the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the UN from 2010-2016, during which time he was also elected as President of the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly and Council. Ambassador Thomson is a founding Co-Chair of the Friends of Ocean Action and is a supporting member of the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy.