At the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice (June 3–13, 2025)—organized by France and Costa Rica under the United Nations—175 UN member states participated, including 64 heads of state and government, 28 UN and intergovernmental agency leaders, 115 ministers, and 12,000 delegates. Together, they represented over 90% of global exclusive economic zones and nearly 85% of ocean-related resources.
Youth Take the Stage
Youth from every continent participated in numerous events, including the official side event “1 Ocean, 7 Voices, 7 Continents: Youth Collective Action for SDG 14” on the morning of June 12. Hosted in “La Baleine” Green Zone by the SOI Foundation and the Pan-African Youth Organization for the Blue Economy (OPJEB), it featured trilingual dialogue (EN/FR/ES). Young ocean leaders discussed strategies for youth inclusion in ocean governance, sharing innovations in education, science, policy, arts, tourism, and the blue economy.
Panelists included:
- Africa: Ernest TINDO (OPJEB, FOJAEB)
- Pacific: Tazmin Falan, Nolani Hazelman
- Europe: Juana Jimenez
- South America: Joshua Baghdady, Karina Higa
- North America: Jasleen Jawanda
- Antarctica: Ronnie Noonan‑Birch
- Asia: Shenghui Li, Camille Rivera
Moderated by Tara Mascarenhas, assisted by Anna Naylor (Canada).
Their discussions spotlighted emerging ocean leadership and youth-driven collaboration.
Africa’s Youth Voice: Ernest TINDO
Ernest TINDO, blue economy expert, OPJEB President, and FOJAEB founder, received a standing ovation. He highlighted Africa’s youth demographics—1.5 billion population with 900 million under 35 and 200 million aged 15–24—and projected 2.5 billion population by 2050, with 56% in coastal zones and 460 million aged 15–24. He framed youth unemployment, underemployment, and precarious migration—including the tragic loss of 25 young Africans daily in the Mediterranean—as urgent issues.
He also emphasized Africa’s vast blue resources—13 million km² maritime zones, 6.5 million km² EEZ, 42,000 km coastline, and 240,000 km² inland lakes—currently under-exploited and over-exploited via illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. According to the African Union, the blue economy is the new frontier for Africa’s renaissance.
OPJEB & FOJAEB: Africa’s Youth Driving the Blue Economy
Founded by TINDO, OPJEB includes the African Youth Forum on the Blue Economy (FOJAEB), which has held editions in Lomé (Togo) and Toliara (Madagascar). FOJAEB’s roadmap focuses on inclusive, sustainable blue growth through education, training, and innovation. A major FOJAEB-Madagascar outcome is the Youth Inclusion in the Blue Economy in Africa (PIJEB-Africa) program, promoting awareness, training, private investment in local content, and incubation for young African entrepreneurs. OPJEB mobilizes governments, MDBs, private sector, universities, training centers, and civil society to support this mission.
Aligning Youth, Finance & Policy: Support from AfDB
TINDO underlined the recent initiatives of the newly elected African Development Bank President, Mr. Ould Tah SIDI, who pledges to:
- Bring the AfDB closer to African youth via an African Guarantee Agency for youth entrepreneurs.
- Prioritize youth within his first 100 days in office.
OPJEB, accredited by the AfDB, will seize this opportunity. TINDO also expressed optimism about implementing the SBE-WASOP (Sustainable Blue Economy Project West Africa Sustainable Ocean Program) with youth inclusion built-in.
A United Global Youth Voice
Held at the “Manta Hall” and the Cryosphere Pavilion in Nice’s Green Zone on June 12, this side event united youth from all continents in advocating for a more inclusive and sustainable ocean future.
UN SDG 14 (“Life Below Water”) aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development—a goal that youth worldwide are actively advancing.
Source: matinlibre
