On June 6, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Head of the Delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: "Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development," taking place at UN Headquarters in New York, participated as a panelist in the third Partnership Dialogue of the Conference, dedicated to minimizing and addressing ocean acidification, and gave an intervention.

In his statement, Cardinal Turkson expressed Pope Francis’ gratitude for the Conference and appreciation for the work being done to conserve and sustainably use our oceans and combat ocean acidification and pollution. Cardinal Turkson articulated five fundamental, interconnected principles to guide care for the environment in general and oceans in particular: the moral imperative to care for our environment; the need for an integral ecology that encompasses environmental, economic, social, cultural and day-to-day ecology, the common good and intergenerational justice; an integrated approach to finding solutions that combine the ethical and the environmental; the importance of education; and the need for dialogue and collaboration at all levels. He called us to be responsible stewards for the present and the future of the vast blue realm that is God’s gift.

His statement can be found here.