UNITED NATIONS -- Facing a world still reeling from the U.S. pullout from a landmark climate treaty, the U.N. secretary-general Monday urged global leaders to not abandon multilateralism and work together in confronting maritime sustainability and environmental challenges.
"Pollution, overfishing and the effects of climate change are severely damaging the health of our oceans," said Antonio Guterres, marking the start of the first-ever U.N. conference on the oceans and marine resources. "We are here today to turn the tide," he told the crowd of U.N. representatives from member states and hundreds of nongovernmental organizations.
