UN ocean conference in France calls for urgent action on marine protection

Delegates at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference opened in the French city of Nice on Monday. PHOTO/Courtesy.

By PATRICK MAYOYO

newshub@eyewitness.africa

The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference opened in the French city of Nice on Monday, with leaders urging accelerated efforts to protect marine ecosystems amid growing threats from climate change, pollution and over-fishing.

The five-day event, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, brings together world leaders, scientists, business figures, Indigenous representatives and civil society groups. It aims to agree on a series of voluntary and political commitments under what is expected to be called the Nice Ocean Action Plan.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to make bold commitments, saying the world faced an era of turmoil but the determination shown at the conference offered hope.

“I urge all countries to come forward with bold pledges,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his opening remarks.

“We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope. I hope that we can turn the tide,” he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for renewed multilateral cooperation, saying global challenges required engagement from both governments and scientists.

“We need to revitalize multilateralism behind the UN Secretary General. The only way to meet that challenge, is to mobilize all actors, heads of state and government speaking here, but also scientists.”

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles said the summit should be remembered as the moment the world recognized that protecting the ocean is not optional, but a moral and economic necessity.

He called for minimum standards of protection to ensure the long-term health of marine ecosystems.

“This summit must be remembered as the time when the world understood that looking after the ocean is not simply an option. Rather, it is a moral, economic, and indeed we need minimum protection.”

The conference takes place against the backdrop of record marine heat, plastic pollution and declining fish stocks. It also follows the adoption of the Marine Biodiversity Treaty in 2023, which aims to regulate conservation in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Key issues under discussion include efforts to curb illegal fishing, expand marine protected areas, and decarbonize maritime transport. Delegates will also examine options to increase funding through private investment and philanthropic channels to support sustainable ocean economies.

UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, who serves as the Conference Secretary-General, said incremental progress was no longer sufficient to address the scale of ocean-related challenges.

He called for investments in the billions, not millions, and urged countries to make binding commitments that can withstand political transitions and economic pressures.

“The time for incremental progress is over. We need billions, not millions, in investment. We need binding commitments that survive political transitions and economic pressures.”

A special event is scheduled during the conference to encourage further ratification of the Marine Biodiversity Treaty, which covers nearly two-thirds of the ocean.

Other sessions will address plastic pollution, the use of low-emission fuels in shipping, and strategies to meet a global target of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.

The event is taking place as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science. More than 50 heads of state and government are participating, alongside over 450 side events and a media zone aimed at boosting public engagement with ocean issues.

The Conference is expected to adopt a political declaration and a registry of voluntary commitments by the end of the week.