Short Article
18:33:23
Third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)-2025
Recently, the third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC), held in Nice, France, concluded with commitments aimed at safeguarding the planet’s marine ecosystems.
Key Highlights
- High Seas Treaty Nears Enforcement: Fifty-six of the required sixty countries have ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement (aka High Seas Treaty).
- It enables the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, regulate marine genetic resources, and mandate environmental impact assessments.
- The European Commission pledged 1 Billion Euro to support ocean conservation and sustainable fishing.
- French Polynesia announced plans to establish the world’s largest marine protected area, covering its entire exclusive economic zone—about five million square kilometers.
- Over 170 countries adopted the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a political declaration paired with more than 800 voluntary commitments.
- These range from youth advocacy to deep-sea ecosystem literacy and capacity-building in marine science.
- A growing coalition of nations called for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, citing its potential to irreversibly damage fragile marine ecosystems.
- India pledged to ratify the High Seas Treaty and proposed a 10-point roadmap for sustainable ocean governance. It includes:
- Expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
- Scale Up the Blue Economy
- Reduce Marine Pollution
- Promote Offshore Renewable Energy
- Support the Global Plastics Treaty
- Invest in Ocean Science and Technology
- Strengthen Coastal Resilience
- Ensure Equitable Access to Marine Resources
- Pause Deep-Sea Mining
- Foster Global Partnerships
