Ministry Leader Attends UN Ocean Conference

The executive director of Waterspirit attended the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. This was Blair Nelsen’s second time attending the conference on behalf of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. The conference brings together governments, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples, philanthropic organizations and more with the aim to support further and urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. 

Blair attended the June 9-13 event with an international coalition of faith-based organizations called Faith in the Ocean. The group organized an in-person side event during the conference that featured coalition members sharing why ocean protection is important from their faith perspectives, as well as their experiences working with impacted communities around the globe. Blair served as the moderator. She also delivered the group’s messages during a two-minute intervention to the plenary.

A discussion on the dangers of deep-sea mining was held during a virtual side event called Disturbance in the Deep: A Rights-Based and Values-Based Approach to Deep Sea Conservation. Blair also moderated that talk.

For a further recap on the U.N. Ocean Conference, including video links and next steps, click here.