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Statement by Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization Sergii VLASENKO

High-Level Policy Forum, New York, USA

Panel “SDG 14: Life Below Water”
Thursday, 17 July 2025, Conference Room 4

10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Excellencies, colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on Ukraine’s experience in advancing SDG 14 – Life Below Water.

To guide our national efforts, the Government of Ukraine has approved updated target indicators for the SDGs through 2030. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources coordinates the implementation of SDG 14, with key priorities including reducing marine pollution, protecting coastal ecosystems, and regulating marine bioresource use sustainably.

As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant agreements, Ukraine remains committed to preserving and restoring marine ecosystems in line with international law. We are also updating our National Biodiversity Strategy based on the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine had made notable progress in protecting marine areas – nearly 6% of our territorial waters held protected status under national law, with 30% identified as internationally important for biodiversity.

But since 2022, the war has severely disrupted these efforts. Russian occupation has paralyzed conservation in the Azov and Black Sea basins. Five national nature parks, one biosphere reserve, and several key coastal wetlands are now inaccessible. The ecological consequences are devastating – from habitat destruction and mining to the death of marine species such as dolphins.

Let me highlight two major environmental disasters. In December 2024, a large-scale accident involving two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, occurred in the Kerch Strait, resulting in a significant fuel oil spill into the Black Sea and causing long-term pollution. Earlier, in June 2023, Russia’s deliberate destruction of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant released massive pollutants into the Dnipro River, eventually flowing into the Black Sea.

These events have degraded habitats, harmed aquatic life, and increased health risks through contaminated seafood. They also illustrate serious violations of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and MARPOL.

Despite these challenges, Ukraine remains committed to marine biodiversity protection. But true restoration will only be possible when hostilities end, and our coastal waters are fully de-occupied.

The ocean knows no borders. Protecting it is a shared responsibility – even in times of war.

Thank you.