Bringing the Ocean Economy into the UN Discussion on Extractive Industries and Human Rights
Planetary Collaboration contributed to the inclusion of ocean-related activities in the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights' report on the extractive sector, just transition and human rights.
The initial report, Extractive Sector, Just Transition and Human Rights, did not address ocean-related activities, seabed mining, maritime industries or the coastal communities affected by extraction and energy transition projects.
In response to the Working Group's 2023 call for inputs, Planetary Collaboration submitted a contribution highlighting this gap and proposing the inclusion of ocean extraction and related activities in the discussion. The submission called for specific attention to offshore and tidal energy generation, hydrocarbon exploration, seabed extraction, and the impacts of these activities on coastal communities and small island populations.
The contribution also drew on the United Nations' Second World Ocean Assessment, highlighting the importance of coastal communities to the ocean economy and the environmental, social and economic pressures affecting marine ecosystems.
Following the consultation, the Working Group's report included an explicit reference to the blue economy in paragraph 44. The final text states:
"It is important to consider the human rights and environmental impacts of the blue economy, including offshore energy and seabed mining projects, and the global shipping industry [...]"
The report also included a section on the Maritime Just Transition Task Force, highlighting the importance of placing seafarers at the centre of the shipping industry's response to the climate emergency.
This inclusion reflects a broader collective effort to bring ocean-related activities into discussions on business and human rights and the energy transition. One Ocean Hub was another organization advocating for the recognition of blue economies, marine activities and the human rights implications of ocean-related economic development through its contribution to the same consultation.
The inclusion of these topics in the final report represents an important step in broadening the discussion of the extractive sector beyond land-based activities. It recognizes that the energy transition and the development of new economic activities also have implications for oceans, marine ecosystems, maritime workers and coastal communities.
Planetary Collaboration welcomes the recognition of these issues in the Working Group's report and acknowledges the contributions of organizations working to ensure that the ocean dimension is considered in discussions on human rights and a just transition.
References
Planetary Collaboration, Submission to the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights: Extractive Sector, Just Transition and Human Rights, 2023. Read the submission.
One Ocean Hub, Submission to the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights: Extractive Sector, Just Transition and Human Rights, 2023. Read the submission.
United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Extractive Sector, Just Transition and Human Rights, A/78/155, 2023, paragraph 44. Read the report.
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