United Nations Assembly
May he have dominion from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 72:8 NRSVue
Today representatives from nations around the world will convene in New York City and the United Nations complex as part of several days of sessions on a number of topics. In the arcane ways of geopolitics there will be an Iranian delegation although the members will not be allowed to stroll the streets of the city and buy stuff. Cause global chaos? Yes. Purchase gifts at Saks Fifth Ave.? No way.
There will be a number of important discussions over the course of several days including what is described as a Climate Summit. Today's theme is Oceans Action and here is how it is described on the UN website:
Solutions Dialogue on Ocean Action and Leadership Date: 22 September 2026 | Time: 11:00–13:00 | Conference Room 11, United Nations Headquarters Context
The United Nations Secretary-General will convene a High-Level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition during the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The Meeting will focus on the leadership, implementation and international cooperation needed to accelerate delivery across the three pillars of the Paris Agreement. It will include a series of multi-stakeholder ‘Solutions Dialogues’, bringing together governments, international organizations and financial institutions, business, investors, subnational actors, civil society and the UN System to identify practical partnerships and solutions to help accelerate implementation across critical sectors and priorities.
Objectives The Dialogue will focus on the following objectives:
• Build coherence across the international ocean architecture and the institutions addressing different parts of the agenda.
• Connect ocean, climate and biodiversity action, including the opportunity for COP31 to advance an ocean-centred climate agenda.
• Identify how finance, technology and private-sector engagement can move promising ocean solutions from individual projects to scale.
• Identify a small number of consequential actions and expectations for leaders, the UN system and other stakeholders to advance ocean action through 2030.
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Canada is a "sea to sea to sea" nation with the longest coastline in the world at about 250,000 kilometres and bordering three oceans. Our national motto, A mari usque ad mare is taken from Psalm 72. We still traverse those oceans for trade, they are essential to our national security, and we derive tremendous economic benefit from our protected waters.
So, why are most of us unaware of what's happening today at the UN? We will likely hear far more about the address of the Bloviator-in-Chief today than this Ocean Action dialogue but the subject is vital for the health of our nation and the planet.
We are midway through the Season of Creation with its theme of Living Water employing seldom-quoted verses from Ezekiel 47. Perhaps we can tie the vision of the prophet of old to the vision of healthy oceans and seas discussed at the United Nations. Once again I'll note that the Church of England calls these weeks Creationtide and I do love the term.
Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish once these waters reach there. It will become fresh, and everything will live where the river goes. People will stand fishing beside the sea[c] from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Ezekiel 47: 9-10, 12 NRSVue
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