“The abyss is not for sale, no more than Greenland is for sale, nor Antarctica or the high seas,” declared the French president on Monday, implicitly targeting Donald Trump’s expansionist statements.
The third United Nations Ocean Conference opened in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) on Monday, June 9, with calls for mobilization and multilateralism. Emmanuel Macron was the first to speak, urging “mobilization” for “oceans” that are “boiling.” “The abyss is not for sale, no more than Greenland is for sale, nor Antarctica or the high seas,” the French president repeated, implicitly referring to Donald Trump’s expansionist remarks. More than 60 world leaders gathered on the French Riviera, including many representatives from the Pacific and Latin America. Follow our live coverage.
The high seas treaty finally finds its signatories. Emmanuel Macron announced that the treaty would be ratified by enough countries — 60 are required — to enter into force. “In addition to the roughly fifty ratifications already submitted here in recent hours, fifteen countries have formally committed to join,” said the French president, without specifying a timeline. Signed in 2023, the treaty will come into effect 120 days after the 60th ratification, which Paris hoped to secure before the summit’s start.
The oceans must not become a “Wild West” of mining, warns Antonio Guterres. “I hope we can turn things around. That we can replace plundering with protection,” said the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as US President Donald Trump seeks to unilaterally start mining operations in international Pacific waters.
A week-long summit in Nice to better protect the ocean. The conference aims to lead to concrete state commitments to protect oceans and a negotiated declaration—expected to be widely consensual after months of talks. Thousands of delegates, scientists, and NGO representatives gathered in Nice against the backdrop of one of the world’s most polluted seas, the Mediterranean, which reached a record temperature of 28.9°C in summer 2024.
“Ocean Emergency: A Summit to Change Everything.” Emmanuel Macron will be the guest on France01602 Tuesday evening for the program “Ocean Emergency: A Summit to Change Everything.” The president “will present the results of the United Nations Ocean Conference and reiterate France’s ambition for ocean protection,” France Télévisions announced. The live broadcast, following the 8 PM news, will be hosted by Léa Salamé and Hugo Clément and followed by a documentary about Polynesia.
