Recalling the concern reflected in the outcome document
of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled «The future we want», 1 that the
health of oceans and marine biodiversity are negatively affected by marine pollution, including marine debris, especially plastic, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and nitrogen -
based compounds, from numerous marine and land -
based sources, and the commitment to take action to significantly reduce the incidence and impacts
of such pollution on marine ecosystems, Noting the international action being taken to promote the sound management
of chemicals throughout their life cycle and waste in ways that lead to the prevention and minimization
of significant adverse effects on human
health and the environment, Recalling the Manila
Declaration on Furthering the Implementation
of the Global Programme
of Action for the Protection
of the Marine Environment from Land -
based Activities adopted by the Third Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation
of the Global Programme
of Action for the Protection
of the Marine Environment from Land -
based Activities, which highlighted the relevance
of the Honolulu Strategy and the Honolulu Commitment and recommended the establishment
of a global partnership on marine litter, Taking note
of the decisions adopted by the eleventh Conference
of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on addressing the impacts
of marine debris on marine and coastal biodiversity, Recalling that the General Assembly declared 2014 the International Year
of Small Island Developing States and that such States have identified waste management among their priorities for action, Noting with concern the serious impact which marine litter, including plastics stemming from land and sea -
based sources, can have on the marine environment, marine ecosystem services, marine natural resources, fisheries, tourism and the economy, as
well as the potential risks to human
health; 1.