DILI, 08 June 2025 (TATOLI) – On World Ocean Day 2025, President José Ramos-Horta urged the people of Timor-Leste and the global community to take united action to protect the oceans.
In a message shared on the occasion of World Ocean Day, celebrated under this year’s theme “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” President Horta highlighted the vital role oceans play in supporting life on Earth and warned of the growing threats to their health.”
The Head of State described the ocean as a source of wonder and a lifeline for humanity: “They connect continents, cultures, and countless forms of life in an intricate dance that has sustained our planet for billions of years.”
He pointed to key threats, including rising ocean temperatures, plastic pollution, overfishing, and acidification that endanger not only marine biodiversity but also the very systems that sustain life on Earth. “The oceans absorb nearly one-third of human-produced carbon dioxide and generate over half the oxygen we breathe. When we neglect the health of our oceans, we neglect our own future,” Horta said.
As an island nation, Timor-Leste has a deep bond with the sea that has shape the country’s history, culture and the way of life.
President Horta reflected on the importance of marine ecosystems for the country’s coastal communities. “Our coastal regions rely on coral reefs and mangroves for protection against storms and erosion. Our cultural traditions are intertwined with the rhythms of the tides and the bounty of the sea.”
He called on Timorese citizens and the world to renew their sense of wonder and responsibility toward the ocean. “Wonder is not just awe. It is responsibility,” he said.
Horta urged citizens to reconnect with the ocean and take responsible action to ensure that future generations can experience its beauty and wonder.
President Horta stressed that real change requires collective action—through international cooperation, innovation, indigenous wisdom, and personal commitment. “They lie in reimagining our relationship with the ocean as one of reciprocity rather than mere extraction.”
“Let us sustain what sustains us, not merely for economic benefit or conservation targets, but because our humanity is deeply intertwined with the health of these blue waters,” he said. “May the wonder of the ocean inspire us all to act with wisdom and compassion. With hope for our shared blue future.”
TATOLI
