On 3 February 2014, on the margins of the eighth session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, organized a side event, entitled “The role of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in sustainable development”. The event aimed to address, in particular, the social, economic and environmental dimensions of UNCLOS and show how these aspects are delicately balanced within UNCLOS. In this regard, attention was drawn to the benefits of an effective implementation of UNCLOS and its implementing agreements for the achievement of sustainable development.