United Nations, New York, June 2, 2026 (Lusa) - The minister of foreign affairs has opened an exhibition by the Oceano Azul Foundation at the UN headquarters in New York, showcasing concrete examples of Portugal’s successes in protecting the seas and oceans.
The opening on Monday, which precedes Wednesday’s election of five new members to the UN Security Council – for which Portugal is a candidate – brought together dozens of diplomats, who were able to reflect on what meaningful action on ocean issues entails, using Portugal’s success stories as examples.
Minister Paulo Rangel stated that Portugal wishes to use this exhibition to reinforce the importance of the seas and oceans agenda, emphasising that issues such as freedom of navigation, environmental protection, species conservation, fisheries and the fight against drug and human trafficking are also matters of international security.
According to the head of Portuguese diplomacy, should Portugal be elected to the UN Security Council, it intends to make maritime security one of its priorities.
"There is a vast array of issues linked to the seas and oceans that form part of the security agenda and, therefore, many of them also have a place in the debates and decisions of the Security Council. What we mean is that everything to do with the sea and the ocean agenda will be a political priority for Portugal, should it be elected to the Security Council,” he said in New York.
Rangel also highlighted the national target of protecting 30% of marine areas by 2030, presenting it as a concrete example of Portugal’s commitment to sustainability and ocean governance.
"We would like to take this opportunity to mention this Portuguese project, known as “30x30”, which aims to have 30% of marine areas protected by 2030 – a target that is well within our reach. It has already been achieved in the Azores, and can be achieved in other parts of the country, particularly in the south-central region and Madeira; therefore, we wanted to give this practical example to demonstrate that, for us, the agenda of maritime safety and security – understood in a very comprehensive way, covering environmental, criminal, and also traffic and navigation aspects – will be a priority,” he added.
The exhibition, which is the result of a partnership between the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations and the Oceano Azul Foundation (a private non-profit institution established in 2014 by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Society in Portugal. Its mission is to promote ocean conservation, marine sustainability and scientific advancement, with the aim of protecting the health of ecosystems), will be on display until 13 June in New York.
Speaking to Lusa, the deputy director for International Affairs at the Oceano Azul Foundation, Sérgio Carvalho, explained that the exhibition aims to demonstrate that it is possible to meet the global target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
According to Carvalho, the exhibition is a celebration of Portuguese success stories, highlighting what can be achieved when there is “alignment between political will, science and the interests of communities”, generating benefits for both marine ecosystems and the people that depend on the sea.
The aim is also to inspire other countries to follow similar conservation models.
“We also want to inspire other countries to look at these examples, convincing them that it is possible, that there are models for change that have been tested and have generated benefits; and so we hope this exhibition can inspire other countries to follow the same path and create protection for the ocean, benefiting not only the ocean but also communities around the world,” said Carvalho.
The exhibition is structured around two interconnected narratives.
The first – "Protecting What Matters" – brings the "Blue Azores" programme and other Marine Protected Area (MPA) initiatives in Portugal to life through immersive photographs, maps and data visualisations that trace the journey from scientific assessment to community engagement and on to the formal designation of MPAs, conveying both the ecological importance of the marine environment and the innovation in governance required to protect it.
The second – "Empowering the Next Generation" – presents profiles of former participants in the “United Nations – Portugal Ocean Fellowship” programme, placing faces and stories at the heart of the narratives.
Portugal is standing for election to the Security Council – one of the most important bodies of the United Nations, whose mission is to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security and whose decisions are binding – under the slogan “Prevention, Partnership, Protection”.
The election for a non-permanent seat for the 2027/2028 term is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Portugal’s direct rivals are Germany and Austria, in a contest for the two non-permanent seats allocated to the Western European and Other States group.
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