Fijian Traditional Welcome Ceremony at the Opening of the UN Oceans Conference, New York

Delegates and participants from around the world were traditionally welcomed by Fiji at the opening of the UN Oceans Conference at the UN in New York.

Fiji and Sweden are co-hosting this conference which the Swedish Government described as a "game changer" to push other countries for the implementation of the UN's 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

This is the first time that a traditional ceremony of welcome has ever been performed on the floor of the UN General Assembly. The UN Secretary General António Guterres highlighted how this morning's ceremony was an apt reminder of the importance of the oceans to peoples, cultures and traditions.

Later this morning the PM and the Swedish Deputy PM Isabella Lövin were both elected Presidents of the Conference. 05/06/2017