United Nations Ocean Conference: Saving The Worldâs Water
As the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) opens today in Nice, France, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, itâs time for the world to reassess the impact it has on our oceans.
The event, which runs from 9 June to 13 June, serves as a global call to accelerate efforts to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).
With mounting threats from pollution, overfishing and climate change, this conference marks a crucial moment to push forward ocean protection and deliver on global commitments.
A global rally for ocean action
Under the theme âAccelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the oceanâ, the conference features 10 plenary sessions, 10 thematic panels and several high-level dialogues.
This year's conference opened with statements from the UN Secretary-General, the Presidents of the Conference, the President of the Economic and Social Council and the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi.
Civil society is playing a key role, thanks to a year-long mobilisation led by Loreley Picourt of the Ocean & Climate Platform and RĂŠmi Parmentier of The Varda Group.
This initiative culminated in the Letâs Be Nice to the Ocean campaign, a global consultation titled A Call to All Voices of the Ocean and a visioning exercise titled An Ocean of Possibilities.
âTwo-thirds of the ocean is areas beyond national jurisdiction â thatâs half our planet,â said Minna Epps, Director of Global Ocean Policy at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“We cannot possibly protect 30% of the ocean if it doesn’t include the high seas.”
These consultations shaped three clear priorities:
- Advancing global ocean governance
- Holding stakeholders accountable
- Planning for a sustainable post 2030 future for SDG 14.
Ocean governance and the BBNJ treaty
A centrepiece of the discussions is the sanction of the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty.
Adopted by the UN in 2023, the treaty seeks to close legal gaps in international waters where industrial fishing and other extractive activities threaten biodiversity.
Its successful implementation is seen as essential to protecting 95% of the ocean that lies beyond national jurisdictions.
The Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition will also be launched during the conference.
Led by the Mayor of Nice and coordinated by the Ocean & Climate Platform, this coalition of cities and regions aims to strengthen adaptation and resilience strategies in the face of rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
“It’s the Wild West out there with countries just fishing anywhere without any sort of regulation, and that needs to change,” said Mauro Randone, Regional Projects Manager at the World Wildlife Fund’s Mediterranean Marine Initiative.
“The high seas belong to everyone and no one practically at the same time, and countries are finally committing to establish some rules.”
The UK’s push for protections
The UK is actively engaged in the conference, helping to shape the political declaration and pushing for progress on several key fronts.
These include securing sanction of the BBNJ, addressing the threat of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’) and advancing marine conservation in UK Overseas Territories.
Notably, the UK is also spotlighting the destructive practice of bottom trawling, a method where heavy nets dragged across the seabed damage habitats, release carbon and result in high levels of bycatch and further global warming.
The UK government is calling for stronger action on this issue and advocating for greater ocean literacy through community-led initiatives and education.
"After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea," explains Sir David Attenborough, Broadcaster, Biologist, Natural Historian and Writer.
David Attenborough’s ocean warning
Adding emotional weight to the conversation is Sir David Attenborough, whose recent film ‘Ocean’ highlights the brutal toll of bottom trawling.
The documentary shows in graphic detail how this method tears up the ocean floor, captures unintended marine life, and emits huge quantities of carbon dioxide.
"It's hard to imagine a more wasteful way to catch fish." explains David.
Kofi Atta Annan, The Secretary General of the United Nations at the time, reported in 2006 that 95% of damage to seamount ecosystems worldwide is caused by deep sea bottom trawling.
Despite its legality and government support in many regions, the environmental cost is immense.
However, David offers a note of hope: the resilience of the ocean.
The rebound of whale populations after the 1986 commercial whaling ban proves that nature can recover when given the chance.
The moratorium in 1986 was largely successful, with the population of Western gray whales increasing from 115 individuals in 2004 to 174 in 2015.
The WSA humpback whale, which numbered fewer than 1,000 for nearly 40 years, has recovered to close to 25,000, according to the latest study.
"That the ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined is the most remarkable discovery of all," comments David.
A healthier ocean ecosystem would also be able to trap more carbon dioxide, helping protect the world from climate change, according to scientists.
Looking beyond 2030
UNOC3 is not only a stocktake of progress but a platform to envision the future.
The global visioning exercise, launched by the Ocean and Climate Platform, CNRS and Friends of Ocean Action, aims to imagine what a truly sustainable ocean could look like and how to get there.
From blue carbon initiatives to inclusive governance and indigenous knowledge integration, new ideas are on the table.
As world leaders, scientists, NGOs and civil society come together in Nice, the stakes could not be higher.
With rising sea temperatures, acidification and biodiversity loss accelerating, this week may prove pivotal in determining the fate of our oceans and the planet they support.
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