15 June 2025 ¨C The picturesque city of Nice took center stage as more than 15,000 participants joined the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), representing governments, the science community, civil society, and the private sector. With urgent calls to reverse the ocean¡¯s declining health, the conference sparked record-breaking pledges and renewed international momentum toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
¡°If I could summarize this conference in one word, it would be unity,¡± said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the Conference. ¡°Unity of purpose, unity in determination, and unity in commitment.¡±
Mr. Li highlighted enthusiastic collaboration across sectors and announced that more than 800 new voluntary commitments were made in the lead up to the event, with a record value of pledged resources. The Conference was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, following the inaugural One Ocean Science Congress held the previous week. This scientific gathering played a vital role in shaping policy discussions at UNOC3.
¡°Ocean policy must be grounded in ocean science,¡± emphasized Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General¡¯s Special Envoy for the Ocean. ¡°Our co-hosts had the foresight to organize the science congress beforehand, ensuring that policymakers received the best available scientific recommendations to act upon.¡±
In terms of new ocean commitments, Mr. Thomson highlighted the examples of the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia, with the creation of vast new marine protected areas. ¡°They are larger than most countries,¡± he said, calling the move a monumental step for marine conservation.
The event also moved the needle in advancing the ratification of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, an international legal framework to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity or areas beyond national borders.
¡°We¡¯ve seen an additional 19 countries ratify the BBNJ agreement this week,¡± said UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Elinor Hammarskj?ld. ¡°We are now just 10 ratifications away from the agreement entering into force. This is a landmark agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.¡±
As the week-long summit wrapped up, the tone was one of urgency paired with optimism. ¡°The Conference has once again demonstrated the universal concern about the state of the ocean,¡± Mr. Li said. ¡°What we need to do next is maximize the momentum and transform it into concrete action.¡±
The message from Nice is clear: a healthy ocean is essential for a healthy planet. With record commitments, legal progress, and political unity, the tide may finally be turning in favor of the ocean.