On 13 July 2017, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, delivered a keynote address to Session 12 of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, focused on the review of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. In his address, the Legal Counsel highlighted the need for an integrated, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach, as well as enhanced cooperation, coordination and policy coherence, at all levels in the implementation of the ocean-related Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, he highlighted the unique role of UN-Oceans, as the only inter-agency coordination mechanism which brings together entities from around the United Nations system with direct mandates on oceans issues and the International Seabed Authority, also noting the potential for it to further develop and become an engine for the enhanced implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), if sufficiently empowered and supported. Keynote addresses were also delivered by H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly; H.E. Mr. Olof Skoog, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Luke Daunivalu, Deputy Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations; and Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the Ocean Conference. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, President of ECOSOC.