Sporting his UNEP swim cap, Mr. Pugh lifted himself out of New York Harbor, just a short walk from the World Trade Center, to a crowd of supporters and curious onlookers. 

Dream swim

The 53-year-old British-South African began his 32-day journey in a small lake just south of the idyllic Adirondack village, Lake Placid. For over a month, he swam down the entire length of the river, occasionally covering over 20 km in a single day.

“I've been dreaming about this swim for many years, but it’s been worth the wait. For the past month I've got to know the Hudson River According to UNEP, water, inequalities, and the environment are closely linked. 

Billions of people worldwide currently live without access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services, even though access to both has been defined as a human right.

This has encouraged a renewed willingness among UN Member States to finally address damage to the world's waterways ahead of the Climate Ambition Summit.

Building on the legacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the High Seas Treaty aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources beyond national maritime boundaries.

It provides a framework for increased cooperation between Member States and other international stakeholders to promote the sustainable development of the ocean and its resources.

Its implementation will make critical contributions to the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

‘Huge privilege’

“It's a huge privilege to be able to represent the UN, and I feel passionate about countries working together to solve environmental issues. Nations will be able to come to the UN and be able to ratify the High Seas treaty,” Mr. Pugh told UN News, shortly after emerging from the water.

“It’s the last piece of the world that finally needs protecting. I'm Subscribe here to a topic.