On the shores of the Mediterranean, the world is gathering to save the marine environment. From June 9 to 13, the third United Nations Ocean Conference will bring together heads of state, scientists, NGOs, and businesses with a shared goal: to halt the silent collapse of the largest — and arguably the most vital — ecosystem on the planet.
The ocean is suffocating. Rising temperatures, rapid acidification, biodiversity loss, plastic invasion, and predatory fishing mean that the “survival system of our planet is faltering,” said Li Junhua, Secretary-General of the upcoming summit in Nice, southern France.
But the story is not yet written. “The future of the ocean will be shaped by the decisions and actions we take,” Li said on Tuesday during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York.
For the senior official, the third UN Ocean Conference — also known as UNOC 3 — must not be “yet another international meeting.” “We hope it will be a decisive opportunity to accelerate action and mobilize all stakeholders, across all sectors and borders.”
A Global-Scale Conference
More than 50 heads of state and government are expected on the French Riviera, alongside 1,500 delegates from nearly 200 countries. The program includes 10 plenary sessions, 10 thematic roundtables, a “blue zone” reserved for official delegations, and a series of parallel forums throughout five days of negotiations.
For France, the host country alongside Costa Rica, the stakes are clear: to make Nice a historic milestone. “This is an emergency,” said Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, at the press conference. “An ecological emergency: we are witnessing the degradation of the oceans as an environment, a reservoir of biodiversity, and a carbon sink.”
France aims to make this conference a turning point. “The goal is to produce a ‘Nice Agreement’ favorable to the ocean, just as the Paris Agreement was for the climate,” Bonnafont emphasized. This agreement will take the form of a Nice Ocean Action Plan, a “concise and action-oriented” declaration, according to Li Junhua, accompanied by renewed voluntary commitments.
Towards a ‘Nice Agreement’ for the Ocean
France’s ambition rests on eight clear pillars: the rapid entry into force of the United Nations High Seas Treaty, better known as BBNJ — Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction — an agreement concluded in 2023 to protect marine life in international waters; progress on a future sustainable fishing agreement; protection of 30% of the oceans by 2030; a maritime transport decarbonization plan; advances on a global treaty against plastic pollution; increased financing for the blue economy; enhancement of local action; and strengthened scientific cooperation.
Three Milestones Before the Summit
Ahead of the conference, three key events will pave the way. The One Ocean Scientific Congress from June 3 to 6 will bring together thousands of researchers. The Summit on Sea Level Rise and Coastal Resilience on June 7 will explore responses to rising waters. Finally, the Blue Economy Finance Forum on June 7 and 8 in Monaco will mobilize investors and decision-makers.
For Maritza Chan Valverde, Ambassador of Costa Rica, there is no time for delay: “What we now expect are concrete commitments, with clear deadlines, budgets, and accountability mechanisms. What changes this time is this: zero rhetoric, maximum results.”
A Call to Action
The conference theme — “Accelerating action and mobilizing all stakeholders to conserve and sustainably use the ocean” — will cover topics ranging from sustainable fishing to marine pollution, and the interactions between climate and biodiversity.
“This is the moment to turn ambition into action,” concluded Li Junhua, calling on governments, businesses, scientists, and civil society to unite in a common drive. He also praised the “visionary leadership” of France and Costa Rica, without whom, he said, this large-scale mobilization would not have been possible.
A slogan promoted by Costa Rican diplomacy seems to capture the spirit of the summit: “Five days. One ocean. One unique chance.”
Source: news
