Ocean Preservation: A Global Challenge

by Sebastien GOULARD

For five days, from June 9 to 13, representatives from 175 countries — including around sixty Heads of State and Government — gathered to discuss the future of the oceans and their preservation.

A major milestone of this conference was the adoption of the Nice Ocean Commitments, which set out a global roadmap for ocean protection through to 2030.

Covering nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface, the oceans are increasingly subject to exploitation and threats, becoming a stage for tensions between states and private actors over maritime routes and the resources they hold.

To address these threats, the international community is working to develop new tools for cooperation. The first edition of the UNOC was held in New York in June 2017, raising awareness among both states and the private sector about the importance of enhanced ocean protection. More than 1,300 commitments were made at that time, including the creation of new marine protected areas and policies to reduce plastic bag use. In 2022, the second conference took place in Lisbon, leading to new commitments and a stronger push to develop the “blue economy,” aiming to better involve the private sector in the sustainable use of ocean resources.

At this third UN Ocean Conference, participants took their cooperation further by proposing a series of commitments: the Nice Ocean Action Plan. Several key areas of cooperation were defined.

Ocean Governance

UNOC 3 served as a platform to reinforce ocean governance, with multiple countries announcing their accession to existing initiatives. Notably, nineteen new states ratified the High Seas Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction-BBNJ), adopted in 2023 to protect biodiversity in international waters. For the treaty to enter into force, sixty ratifications are required by September 2025—ten more are still needed.

The highly contentious issue of deep-sea mining was also discussed, with thirty-seven countries calling for a moratorium on such activities. However, consensus remains elusive, as some states are unwilling to forgo access to rare earth elements provided by seabed mining.

Efforts to combat illegal fishing were reinforced, particularly through the ratification by 103 countries of the World Trade Organization’s “Fish1” Agreement, aimed at ending subsidies to illegal fishing operators.

UNOC also hosted the first-ever Ocean Parliament, bringing together nearly one hundred representatives from all continents. This initiative is expected to enhance international cooperation on ocean-related issues.

Expanding Ocean Knowledge

UNOC 3 was also a key moment for the scientific community, notably through the One Ocean Science Congress. As vast portions of the deep sea remain unexplored, new scientific cooperation initiatives were launched, including the Neptune Mission, a new marine exploration program. Another notable initiative is the creation of a digital twin of the ocean, through the Mercator International Center for the Ocean, a project supported by twelve European states.

The Rise of the Blue Economy

Another focus of the Nice conference was increasing private sector and banking involvement in the blue economy, to ensure more sustainable ocean exploitation. For example, twenty development banks announced the creation of the Finance in Common coalition to promote blue finance.

Several companies also pledged to better account for the impact of their activities on the marine environment and to invest in more ocean-friendly solutions.

Ocean Conservation

Finally, participants at the Nice conference discussed ways to enhance marine conservation, including the creation of new marine protected areas. Ninety-five states signed a declaration calling for an ambitious global plastics treaty, ahead of the next session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) to be held in Geneva in August 2025, aimed at tackling plastic pollution. Additional initiatives were announced to protect sharks and to address the spread of sargassum in the Caribbean.

The UN Ocean Conference highlighted the global community’s growing concern and commitment to ocean protection. The decisions made during this meeting are ambitious and reflect the need for better international coordination, as new forms of cooperation emerge. Threats to the oceans have the potential to disrupt the global economy and create political instability. While some states may be tempted to pursue short-term economic gains through ocean resource exploitation, a growing global awareness is clearly taking shape.