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OES: 50 Years of Protecting People and the Planet [1]

['Chantal Davis']

Date: 2024-11

From the depths of the ocean floor to the galaxies of outer space, our Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, or OES for short, has made a worldwide impact.

Established in 1974, OES has played a pivotal role in shaping international policies and fostering partnerships that promote a healthier and more sustainable planet.

As OES celebrates its 50th anniversary, here is a look back at some of the bureau’s major achievements.

1987: Protecting the Ozone Layer

OES leads finalization of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which is expected to restore the stratospheric ozone layer by 2065.

1988: Getting World’s Attention on Climate Change

OES plays a core role in establishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has served as the scientific foundation for climate decision making around the world and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

1994: Conserving Coral Reefs

OES leads the creation of the International Coral Reef Initiative to conserve and protect coral reefs, which represent an estimated $36 billion per year in world tourism value alone.

1995: Protecting Global Fisheries

OES leads the negotiation of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, setting the course for how countries cooperate on the most valuable fisheries in the world.

1996: Protecting the Arctic

OES promotes U.S. economic and environmental interests in the Arctic through the creation of the Arctic Council, a forum of eight Arctic States and six Indigenous Peoples organizations.

1998: Negotiating Space Station Cooperation

OES leads negotiations to codify ownership and use of the International Space Station, which acts as a global platform for research and has been inhabited for more than 25 years.

2002: Protecting Vital Tropical Forests

OES plays a crucial role in founding the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, which fosters collaboration among Congo Basin countries and other stakeholders to promote sustainable management of the world’s second-largest tropical forest.

2004: Advancing GPS Cooperation

OES leads negotiations on Global Positioning System cooperation with the European Union, protecting U.S. security interests while promoting more comprehensive service for the over 900 million GPS receivers Americans use today.

2014: Protecting Our Ocean

OES elevates ocean issues on the global foreign policy agenda by launching the Our Ocean Conference, which has mobilized over 2,500 commitments worth approximately $139 billion to promote ocean conservation.

2016: Combatting Unregulated Fishing

OES leads the push for the entry into force of the first global treaty to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which protects U.S. fishermen from unfair competition and ensures consumer confidence in the seafood supply.

2019: Safeguarding Alaska’s Seafood Industry

OES leads negotiations on the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, ratified in 2019. The agreement safeguards Alaska’s seafood industry, which supplies 60% of the seafood consumed in the United States.

2022: Phasing out Hydrofluorocarbons

OES leads negotiation of the Kigali Amendment, ratified in 2022, to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons worldwide. The amendment is expected to avoid up to half a degree Celsius of temperature rise by 2100.

2022: Driving Responsible Innovation in Quantum

OES and the White House launched the Multi-country Quantum Dialogue, which created the Quantum Entanglement Exchange and developed guiding principles to shape the future of global quantum initiatives.

2023: Protecting Biodiversity on the High Seas

OES leads negotiations on the new agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas Treaty. The treaty will help establish marine protected areas in the high seas, a critical step to conserving 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Chantal A. Davis is a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of Policy and Public Outreach.

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[1] Url: https://www.state.gov/dipnote-u-s-department-of-state-official-blog/oes-50-years-of-protecting-people-and-the-planet/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=hero&utm_campaign=dipnote_oes

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