The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3)⁽¹⁾ will take place from 9 to 13 June in Nice, focusing on “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”. Among key issues on the agenda are limiting overfishing, protecting biodiversity on the high seas, prohibiting deep-sea mining, the sustainable blue economy and tackling plastic pollution. Three related special events have also been organised.

71% of the Earth’s surface area

The ocean is a vital part of our planet, accounting for 90% of the biosphere. Covering some 71% of the planet’s surface, it generates over half the oxygen in the atmosphere. The ocean is also a driver of economic activity, supporting millions of jobs, ensuring food security and fostering global development. However, it now more than ever faces global challenges, including environmental degradation (pollution and waste), biodiversity loss, depletion of natural resources, and the impacts of climate change (water acidification, heat waves affecting surface temperatures, rising sea levels, and more), as well as illegal activities.

Concrete results expected in 2025

Over these last ten years a number of agreements and international treaties have been adopted, many of which are due to be ratified or implemented this year. One example is the so-called High Seas Treaty, or to give it its official title the “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction” (BBNJ) Agreement. Negotiations are also under way to draft an international treaty on plastic pollution, to define regulations on deep-sea mining, and to reduce or even halt funding for harmful fishing activities. At the same time, on 4 June the European Union will present the final version of its Oceans Pact, aimed at promoting sustainable ocean management and ensuring the resilience and productivity of marine ecosystems (see box).

The European Oceans Pact

This new pact will “set a vision for a holistic approach to ocean-related policies”. The aim is to “create a single reference framework for all ocean-related strategic actions during the Commission’s mandate and to ensure consistency across all areas of the Union’s ocean-related actions”. It will also “focus on supporting resilient and healthy oceans and coastal areas, promoting the blue economy”. Three objectives have been set: “maintain healthy, resilient, and productive oceans by implementing relevant EU legislation and promoting the Union’s international ocean governance programme; promote a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy, including in the fishing sector; work towards consolidating, simplifying and extending the EU’s marine knowledge framework”. In mid-May, the marine environmental NGOs – or “Blue NGOs*” – welcomed “the progress made in implementing existing regulations” but “deplored the lack of new and concrete measures to counter more pressing threats to marine life and biodiversity” (e.g. bottom trawling in marine protected areas, overfishing, worsening pollution from micro-plastics, but also a lack of financial investment into marine protection).

*ClientEarth, Oceana, Surfrider Foundation Europe, Seas At Risk, BirdLife and the WWF EPO

UNOC 3 priorities

UNOC 3 has set itself three priorities: it intends to “work towards the successful completion of ocean-related multilateral processes, showing greater ambition for the protection of the ocean; mobilise funding for SDG 14 and support the development of a sustainable blue economy; and strengthen and better disseminate knowledge related to marine sciences resulting in better policy-making.”

Three related special events

Taking place in Nice from 7 to 13 June, the UN conference will combine a plenary session with discussions (Ocean Action Panels). Building up to this, three special events will be held: the One Ocean Science Congress (4-6 June, Nice), the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Summit (7 June, Nice), and the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (7-8 June, Monaco).

. The One Ocean Science Congress, spearheaded by the French Institute for Science and Technology (Ifremer) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), will bring together some 2,000 experts from around the world to inform upcoming policy decisions. The aim is to put forward concrete recommendations that will pressure attending Heads of States and government into prioritising the ocean in their sustainable development strategies, backing science-based solutions, and increasing funding for ocean research.

. The Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Summit focuses on coastal towns and cities, coastal regions and island nations that are threatened by rising sea levels and extreme climate events. Organised by the city council of Nice, the Ocean & Climate Platform and the Global Center for Climate Mobility, and taking place over two days, this summit should see the official launch of a coalition under the same name.

. The Blue Economy and Finance Forum seeks to leverage funding with the aim of restoring ocean health and accelerating the transition toward a sustainable and regenerative blue economy. The Forum is being organised by the Monaco Government, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and the Monaco Institute of Oceanography.

A new international platform for ocean sustainability

The scientific part of UNOC 3, the One Ocean Science Congress will also see the launch of the IPOS⁽²⁾ ocean knowledge-sharing platform, which aims to bridge the gap between science and policy. The creators of IPOS set out from two basic observations: firstly, that at UN-level, the ocean is managed in terms of topic (area, coastline, mineral resources, fishing, etc.) rather than through the prism of climate – excepting one dedicated IPCC report – and secondly, that discussion of science is often confined to the academic sense alone, and fails to bring in other areas of expertise (local knowledge, life experience, etc.). Initially envisaged as the ‘Ocean’s IPCC’, the IPOS platform has gradually evolved into a platform that offers three different services: reports on specific issues by country (e.g. deep-sea mining); rapid responses provided to countries to support them in the context of a specific project; and actions that foster all manner of new ideas or innovations. As summed-up by François Gaill, project co-lead alongside Tanya Brodie Rudolph, “IPOS offers mediation with the aim of building relationships, and capturing all the ocean-based knowledge currently available. We’re connecting what we already know, rather than generating new knowledge”. IPOS is also currently working to develop a new purpose-built generative AI that will draw from the best internationally recognised sources.

1) The first two were held in New York in 2017 and Lisbon in 2022.

2) IPOS: International Platform for Ocean Sustainability: https://ipos.earth/