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- The Office of Legal Affairs Supports the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference
- The Office of Legal Affairs Supports the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference
The Office of Legal Affairs Supports the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference

The Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), through its respective units, actively contributed to the high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development (2025 United Nations Ocean Conference), convened by General Assembly resolution 78/128, and held in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025.
Led by the United Nations Legal Counsel—who was also appointed by the Secretary-General as Special Adviser to the Presidents of the Conference on oceans and legal matters—OLA played an active role across several key initiatives during the week.
First, the Legal Counsel officiated on behalf of the Secretary-General at a Special Treaty Event allowing States to join the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). During this event convened by the Treaty Section, 34 States from all regions undertook treaty actions under the BBNJ Agreement, including 18 signatures and 18 ratifications. Two additional signatures and one further ratification followed during the conference, bringing the total number of ratifications to 51 (including 50 States and the European Union). This marked a significant advance toward the Agreement’s entry into force.
Ahead of the Conference and throughout the week, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) provided substantive support to the Division for Economic and Social Affairs in its role as secretariat of the Conference, as well as supported and delivered several events as part of its mandate to mark the observance of World Oceans Day, including the parade of boats on 8 June. The Conference comprised ten plenary sessions and ten Ocean Action Panels, including Ocean Action Panel 10, entitled “Enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the UNCLOS”. DOALOS served as the lead entity for this Panel, during which the United Nations Legal Counsel delivered introductory remarks. In addition, DOALOS engaged in various side events that were held in connection with the Conference, either inside the Conference venue (Blue Zone), or off-site, at the Green Zone, and other venues across Nice, reflecting the breadth of its mandate.
In particular, DOALOS successfully organized, in cooperation with other partners, the following side events:
- The BBNJ Agreement as a catalyst for action to achieve SDG14: Looking ahead to opportunities and challenges for effective implementation.
- UN-Oceans as a mechanism to mobilize multilateral ocean action and amplify collective impacts toward the implementation of SDG14.
- Strengthening the science-policy interface through the Regular Process and its World Ocean Assessments to support the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).
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DOALOS also contributed to a number of side events organized by other entities, including on the following issues:
- Securing our future: Small Island Developing States and Sea Level Rise
- Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Ocean Economies: Tough questions answered!
- Enhancing global fisheries frameworks to ensure food security
- Elevating gender equity and the role of women in ocean affairs
Furthermore, DOALOS organized a meeting with Alumni of the United Nations - Nippon Foundation fellowship programme, who participated in the Conference. During that meeting, the Alumni had the opportunity to meet with the Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation and engage in a meaningful exchange on the impact of capacity-building in their professional journeys.
The Office of the Legal Counsel provided substantive support to the Credentials Committee of the Conference and a provided legal advice to Secretariat entities. Ěý
The Legal Counsel also delivered the closing remarks at the tenth and final plenary session of the Conference.
The Office of Legal Affairs expresses its sincere appreciation to all delegations, youth advocates, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, academics, scientists, industry representatives, civil society partners, and members of the UN system for their vital contributions. Their collective commitment continues to shape a more inclusive and representative model of ocean governance and a reinvigorated spirit of multilateralism.