🌊 UN Ocean Conference 2025: Day 3 Highlights from Nice 🌍
This week, global leaders, ocean advocates, scientists, and innovators have gathered in Nice, France for UNOC3—a pivotal moment to accelerate ocean action and fulfill SDG14.
🔹 Why it matters:
The ocean is our planet’s life-support system—yet only 10% of SDG14 targets are on track. The commitments made today reflect growing urgency and cross-sector resolve.
Momentum for the High Seas Treaty
June 11 2025 marked a significant advancement for the High Seas Treaty, formally known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). A major surge in support saw 18 additional countries ratify the treaty, bringing the total number of ratifications to 49.
The treaty’s entry into force will unlock the ability to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in these historically ungoverned high seas, a crucial step towards achieving the global “30×30” target—an international pledge to conserve 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030. Beyond the creation of MPAs, the treaty establishes a comprehensive framework for technology-sharing, funding mechanisms, and scientific collaboration among nations, ensuring that conservation efforts are governed by multilateral decision-making rather than individual national actions.
Despite progress, the conference also brought to light a persistent challenge: the disparity between declared marine protection and effective, real-world conservation. Currently, only 2.7% of the ocean is genuinely protected from destructive extractive activities. The critique of “paper parks,” particularly in French waters, where areas are designated for protection but still experience harmful activities like bottom trawling, illustrates that legal frameworks alone are insufficient. The BBNJ Agreement’s emphasis on multilateral decision-making and robust oversight mechanisms offers a promising pathway to address this gap.
Tackling Marine Plastic Pollution: Data-Driven Solutions and Circular Economy Approaches
A prominent side event on June 11 focused on “Data-Driven Solutions for Marine Pollution: Strengthening National Waste Management Systems through Evidence-based Policy and Finance”. This session directly confronted the alarming reality that an estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean annually, a figure projected to nearly triple by 2040 without substantial intervention.
Discussions at the event underscored that the burden of plastic pollution disproportionately affects developing countries, largely due to their limited waste management infrastructure and inadequate regulatory systems. This deficiency not only impedes the development of targeted policy actions but also restricts the capacity to monitor progress towards key Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production), and SDG 14 (Life below water).
The emphasis on “data-driven solutions” for plastic pollution signifies a recognition that current interventions are often hampered by a lack of precise and reliable data, particularly in developing nations. Without robust data, policy initiatives cannot be effectively targeted, nor can progress towards relevant SDGs be accurately tracked. This suggests a strategic pivot from broad, generalized mandates to precision-guided policy, where investment in data collection and analytical capabilities is deemed a prerequisite for impactful waste management and successful transitions to a circular economy. This approach aims to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently to address the most critical sources of pollution.
Precautionary Stance on Deep-Sea Mining
Day 3 of the conference witnessed a strong, unified global endorsement for a precautionary pause or moratorium on deep-sea mining. This collective stance was articulated by a diverse group including government officials, a UN Special Rapporteur, industry representatives such as Renault, civil society organizations, and marine scientists. This builds on the European Council President António Costa’s prior commitment to a moratorium, bringing the total number of national-level commitments to 37.
The strong, multi-stakeholder rejection of deep-sea mining exemplifies the increasing influence of the precautionary principle in international environmental policy. This principle asserts that if an action carries a suspected risk of causing harm to the environment or public health, the burden of proving its harmlessness falls on those proposing the action, particularly when scientific consensus on harm is lacking. The acknowledgement of “knowledge chasms” regarding deep-sea ecosystems serves not merely as an observation of scientific gaps but as a direct justification for a moratorium. This indicates a shift in global environmental governance towards prioritizing the prevention of potential environmental harm over immediate economic exploitation.
Mobilizing Finance for a Sustainable Blue Economy
On June 11, a high-level panel titled “Bold Investment in Ocean Can Be ‘Triple Win’ for People, Planet, Prosperity” underscored the critical need for substantial financial commitments to ocean well-being. Panelists urged united action to unlock the full potential of a sustainable ocean-based economy, emphasizing that progress in this area directly supports not only SDG 14 but also broader development goals such as poverty reduction, decent work, and innovation.
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) presented ambitious recommendations, including a “$2.8 trillion ‘Blue Deal’
- UNCTAD also proposed the creation of a “One Ocean Finance Facility” to pool investments and redirect harmful subsidies.
UNCTAD’s proposal for a UN inter-agency task force dedicated to seaweed, aimed at promoting “blue foods and plastic alternatives” and “creating decent coastal jobs,” highlights seaweed as a key emerging solution. This positions seaweed cultivation as a nature-based solution with significant co-benefits, reflecting a growing recognition of the untapped potential of marine biomass to contribute to a sustainable blue economy.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) highlighted the importance of climate-resilient maritime transport and green shipping, advocating for clean fuels and energy-efficient vessels.
Minderoo Foundation urged for the establishment of 30% no-take zones within exclusive economic zones to protect marine biodiversity and ensure the long-term sustainability of fisheries.
Strengthening Ocean Governance and Combating Illegal Activities
A key discussion point on Day 3 was the statement by the CITES Secretary-General, which underscored the “vital link” between SDG 14 (ocean conservation) and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions, including combating corruption and bribery).
This emphasized that effective ocean conservation is inextricably linked to advancing justice, the rule of law, and institutional capacity, particularly in the context of tackling cross-border wildlife crime. Illegal fishing and wildlife trade undermine conservation efforts, destabilize coastal communities, and are often intertwined with broader criminal networks and corruption. This perspective suggests that effective ocean conservation strategies must integrate law enforcement, anti-corruption measures, and institutional strengthening, moving beyond purely biological or ecological interventions. This holistic security approach is essential for long-term success.
Cross-Cutting Themes and Future Outlook
Throughout the conference, a consistent emphasis was placed on the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, collectively termed the “triple planetary crisis” threatening ocean health.
Discussions on ocean acidification and the broader impact of human activities on marine ecosystems reinforced this holistic view, highlighting that a healthy ocean offers crucial solutions to major global challenges. The consistent framing of ocean threats within this “triple planetary crisis” serves as a powerful unifying narrative, moving beyond addressing individual symptoms to recognizing the systemic nature of environmental degradation.
Events like “Ocean science and its policy interface: From knowledge to sustainable ocean solutions” aimed to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and practical policy implementation, emphasizing the importance of the UN Regular Process and World Ocean Assessments in this endeavor.
📣 Notable Commitments
✅ Kenya to host Our Ocean 2026, continuing regional momentum.
✅ Fiji affirms its 30×30 pledge with 5 new marine reserves.
✅ Seychelles protects 1.3M sq km via its new marine spatial plan.
✅ Philippines boosts ocean science through 8 research stations.
✅ Japan pledges $84M across 24 new commitments.
✅ Barbados launches a blue-green bond to fund a just ocean-climate transition.
✅ Equatorial Guinea and Ecuador push back against illegal fishing, highlighting its threat to sovereignty and food security.
✅ Malta, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Estonia, and others scale marine protected areas, legal harmonization, and ocean tech innovation.
✅ Palestine, Ukraine, and Czech Republic underline geopolitical and environmental justice dimensions.
🧭 The bigger picture:
From sturgeon bans in the Caspian, to microplastic treaties and coastal resilience in North Africa, the ocean agenda is no longer peripheral—it’s a test of global governance, equity, and scientific ambition.
🔵 As the tide rises—so must our collective action. The future of blue economies, climate resilience, and marine biodiversity hinges on turning these pledges into measurable progress.
👉 Follow for daily updates, insights, and perspectives from UNOC3. Let’s connect innovation to impact.
#UNOC3 #BlueEconomy #OceanAction #SDG14 #Sustainability #ClimateJustice #MarineScience #PlasticPollution #BlueCarbon #NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateLeadership #PolicyToAction
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