From 2-13 June, attention turned to Nice, France, where the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and related Special Events were held. Expectations were high: Costa Rica and France, co-hosts of the Conference, had been advocating since 2022 for it to be a turning point for the protection of the ocean and its governance. The turnout was significant: 175 UN member States, 64 Heads of State and Government, 28 heads of UN, intergovernmental and international organisations, and more than ten thousand delegates convened in Nice. From the Blue Zone to the Whale, the city pulsed with the energy of the ocean community, awaiting transformative and concrete actions to finally turn the tide and address the major threats facing the ocean, its ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them. By the end of the Conference, the Nice Ocean Action Plan had been adopted, consisting of a political Declaration and numerous voluntary commitments. Yet, whether the momentum built in Nice will bear fruit remains to be seen. Only time – or rather, political will and concrete actions by States and all stakeholders – can tell whether these commitments will be translated into measurable outcomes or fade into mere well-worded declarations.
Civil Society Steers the Tide at UNOC3
Civil society organisations were highly mobilised both in the lead-up to and throughout the conference. Events such as the One Ocean Science Congress (3–6 June), the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Summit (7 June), the Blue Economy & Finance Forum (7–8 June), and World Ocean Day (8 June) all contributed to building strong momentum. Each served as a platform to convene and amplify the voices of a diverse ocean community: from scientists to local community leaders, to financial stakeholders, the private sector, and philanthropies, to civil society organisations. More than a thousand events were held between the Blue Zone and the Whale, which welcomed more than 130,000 visitors, and dozens of commitments were made – clear signs of civil society’s determination to keep ocean action front and centre on the global agenda. A key highlight was World Ocean Day, which saw the organisation of “The Future Is Now: Let’s Dive into an Ocean of Possibilities” event. On this occasion, participants reported on the progress made by the initiatives “An Ocean of Possibilities” and “Let’s Be Nice to the Ocean” launched as part of the mandate given to Loreley Picourt (Ocean & Climate Platform) and Remi Parmentier (The Varda Group) for UNOC3. This event notably marked the launch of “Our Blue Future” – a unified call by 100+ leaders of the ocean community for transformative action to secure a just, healthy, and resilient future for the ocean and all life it sustains, and open to signature here. The day also provided a dedicated space to honour Women actions for the ocean, as well as People of the Sea, through dedicated events.
Governance Gains Towards a Strengthened Ocean Governance
As a result of significant diplomatic efforts by the co-hosts of the Conference – as well as the advocacy of civil society organisations such as the High Seas Alliance and IUCN, along with community leaders and scientists – one of the most notable successes of UNOC3 is the progress made on the High Seas Treaty. It focuses on the protection of international waters, or nearly two-thirds of the ocean and almost half the surface of the planet. Before the Conference, 31 countries had ratified the treaty; that number has now reached 50, or just 10 short of the 60 required for its entry into force. This marks a significant milestone in advancing global ocean governance, demonstrating the strength of ocean diplomacy to unite; a treaty that took nearly two decades to negotiate may enter into force just over two years after its adoption. Indeed, the remaining ratifications can be expected by the end of September 2025. This sets the stage for the meeting of the Preparatory Commission in August, to plan for the treaty’s implementation.
Momentum also grew against deep-sea mining (DSM). UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that “the deep sea cannot become the Wild West,” while President Macron described it as “madness.” This could have inspired a significant leap forward against DSM, but progress has been more measured. The number of countries calling for a moratorium or precautionary pause on DSM rose from 33 to 37 – a limited increase, in contrast to the 169 member states of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), responsible for safeguarding the deep sea and developing a mining code. However, resistance is also growing beyond state actors: major financial stakeholders, such as Crédit Agricole, announced they would not finance deep-sea mining projects.
These developments demonstrate that UNOC3 has successfully mobilised the international community to advance crucial ocean governance frameworks, marking a decisive achievement and confirming that shared ambition can drive tangible progress.
A Strategic Convergence Around the Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus
As 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement (2015), UNOC3 presented a timely opportunity to strengthen action at the nexus of ocean, climate, and biodiversity. In his opening remarks, President Macron set the tone by reaffirming the ocean’s central role in the Earth’s climate system, extending a nod to President Lula of Brazil, host of the upcoming Climate Conference (COP30). That same day, Brazil and France launched the Blue NDC Challenge, joined by an inaugural group of countries including Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and the Republic of Seychelles, calling on all countries to place the ocean at the heart of their national climate strategies ahead of COP30. The connection between ocean health and climate action also made its way to the UNOC3 Declaration, adopted by 192 countries, stressing that meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target is essential for safeguarding marine ecosystems. A message echoed throughout the week by Brazil and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), who advocated waving a blue thread between actions taken to deliver on the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework.
More concretely, the portfolio of solutions that the ocean can provide to address climate change and biodiversity loss has been well explored throughout the conference. A strong focus was placed on decarbonising shipping, with numerous stakeholders calling on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to accelerate the transition. The importance of developing sustainable blue tourism was also highlighted as a pillar of a regenerative blue economy that can deliver benefits for both Nature and People, culminating in the launch of the Ocean Tourism Pact – a collective pledge to build a sustainable coastal and marine tourism. Great attention was also given to the sustainable transition of the aquatic food sector, with more than 100 countries having now ratified the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement to put an end to harmful subsidies, against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Only about ten signatures are now missing. Finally, marine conservation and protection remained a key priority – laying the groundwork for further momentum around one of the most ambitious global targets yet to protect the ocean.
Growing Momentum to Protect Marine Ecosystems and Achieve 30x30
At UNOC3, momentum toward protecting marine ecosystems gained new ground, particularly in support of the global 30×30 target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, and in support of the achievement of SDG 14.5. Numbers indicate that the percentage of protected areas around the globe has now risen from 8.4% to 10%, with several countries announcing new marine protected areas (MPAs), such as Tanzania, Colombia and São Tomé and Príncipe. The most acclaimed was made by French Polynesia, with the creation of the world’s largest network of MPAs, pledging to protect nearly 5 million km² of its Exclusive Economic Zone, including 1.1 million km² under full or high protection. France also committed to expanding strong protection of its metropolitan waters from 0.1% to 4% by 2026. The OCP welcomes this as a step in the right direction, but points to shortcomings in both clarity and effectiveness. Metropolitan efforts remain insufficient due to weak protection standards and the exclusion of the water column. Together with its partners, the OCP urges immediate science-based measures, the establishment of strictly protected MPAs in metropolitan waters, and systematic enforcement of restrictions wherever risk assessments in Natura 2000 MPAs reveal threats to conservation goals.
A strong stance for a free and open science, based on partnerships
In recent months, the scientific community has faced mounting attacks, particularly in the United States, leading to the emergence of campaigns such as “Stand Up for Science.” Against this backdrop, the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) played a crucial role in putting science at the top of the agenda. A recurring message was that meaningful ocean action must be informed not only by science, but also by the knowledge of Indigenous peoples and local communities. In addition to the issuance of 10 key recommendations by the OOSC, UNOC3 saw the launch of several initiatives aimed at improving policymakers’ access to science, data, and diverse knowledge systems in favor of informed action to safeguard the ocean. Among them, the International Platform for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS), which will provide governments with tailored, science-based and locally actionable policy options to help them meet their international commitments to the Ocean. In addition, 12 countries reaffirmed their support for the transformation of Mercator Ocean International into an intergovernmental organisation: the Mercator International Centre for the Ocean. It will “deliver world-class digital ocean systems – including the European Digital Twin of the Ocean – to provide reliable, real-time information supporting climate resilience, marine safety, environmental protection, and a sustainable blue economy”. These efforts, however, were accompanied by a strong reminder: sustained funding and international cooperation will be essential to deliver on these ambitions for ocean sciences.
Will SDG14 stop being the least funded of all SDGs after UNOC3?
UNOC3 may mark a turning point in addressing one of the ocean’s most persistent challenges: the underfunding of SDG 14, which receives less than 1% of total SDG financing. As world leaders, financial institutions, and private actors convened in Monaco and Nice, signs emerged that this could start to shift. Several announcements reflected growing political will and financial mobilisation for the ocean. At the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF), new commitments totaling €8.7 billion by 2030 were unveiled, including €4.7 billion from philanthropists and private investors, and €4 billion mobilised by public financial institutions – signalling rising momentum among public and private financial actors to scale up investment in sustainable ocean economies. At the same time, the Finance in Common Ocean Coalition continued to grow, boosting collaboration between public development banks to increase and align ocean-related investments. Meanwhile, a Business Call to Action was endorsed by 80 companies from 25 countries, with a combined turnover of €600 billion. On World Ocean Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies committed $6.8 million to support the conservation of Brazil’s ocean and coastal ecosystems. The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) pledged to invest $2.5 billion by 2030 to foster a resilient and inclusive blue economy across the region. In a powerful joint intervention, ministers from the Global South called for urgent action to close the $14.6 billion ocean finance gap, underscoring the need for more equitable access to funding and capacity-building. Together, these efforts reflect growing awareness that delivering on SDG14 will require not only ambition and coordination, but also sustained and scaled-up finance.
Local governments leading the way on sea level rise with a new Coalition
Sea level rise has been a central topic throughout the Conference and in the “Our Ocean, Our Future” Declaration. While the absence of recognition of local governments in driving adaptation efforts can be regretted in the Declaration, their unprecedented mobilisation – most notably during the Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Summit organised on June 7th – has positioned them at the centre stage of global conversation. With over 200 local leaders of coastal cities and regions coming together in Nice, the Summit has been a strong symbol of “the mobilisation of all local actors around the world, not only those directly affected, but also those capable of leading the way in building solutions”, recalled President Emmanuel Macron during the Opening Ceremony of UNOC3. Most importantly, the Summit marked the launch of a Coalition aimed at accelerating adaptation to sea level rise and ocean changes by fostering cooperation between coastal cities and regions with all stakeholders across science, finance and civil society that are essential to this transition. Resulting from the collaborative efforts of the Ocean & Climate Platform, the City of Nice and the Governments of France and Costa Rica, the Coalition will be hosted by the Global Centre for Climate Mobility under UNOPS. The powerful appeal made on World Ocean Day by Christian Estrosi, Chair of the Coalition, and LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans and Vice-Chair of the Coalition, to “invest in us, [coastal cities and regions] on the frontlines” was strongly echoed by key partners of the Coalition, who announced new scientific and funding opportunities:
- The French Space Agency (CNES) launched the Space4Ocean (S4O) Alliance, inviting local leaders of the Coalition to join a dedicated working group to express their operational needs and create tailored services in space data and technologies.
- The European Space Agency announced the Coastal Resilience to Climate Change funding opportunity, aimed at supporting the development of innovative space-based services for coastal cities, rural coastal areas, and ports.
- The French Government launched a EUR 1 million call for projects supporting decentralised cooperation initiatives between French local governments and foreign counterparts to foster collaborative adaptation efforts to rising sea levels.
- The European Commission presented a newly adopted EUR 45 million Horizon Europe Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters Calls 2025 focused on boosting the resilience of vulnerable coastal cities, rural zones and islands through innovation and sustainable transformation.
- The GCCM announced the establishment of a new funding mechanism within the Climate Adaptation Facility for Communities (C-CAF) to provide grants to coastal cities and regions to support local projects.
Throughout the Conference, several events and announcements reinforced this momentum, including the launch of the Decade of Action for Cryosphere Sciences (2025–2034) and the organisation of the World Island Forum. With an unprecedented spotlight on sea level rise and local leadership, the moment is ripe to “turn engagement into concrete action” for adaptation—an effort that, as Loreley Picourt, Executive Director of the OCP, emphasised during the Closing Ceremony of UNOC3, “must serve no political project other than the well-being of all, especially the most vulnerable, and bring the whole of society on board toward desirable futures”.
Renewed International Commitments to End Pollution
UNOC3 provided a key opportunity to advance global efforts to achieve SDG 14.1, focusing on preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution of all kinds. This was particularly timely, in the lead-up to the 6th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-6) for the Global Plastics Treaty where negotiations have stalled. In this context, 96 countries launched the “Nice Wake-Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty”. Signatories reaffirm their “common ambition to end plastic pollution to protect human health and the environment from its adverse effects, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics”. According to UNEP, around 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, underlining the urgency of this initiative and of finalising an ambitious and effective Plastic Treaty. The same day, the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, co-led by Canada and Panama, was launched. The initiative calls for international cooperation to address the growing threat of ocean noise pollution, an overlooked issue affecting marine species. Together, these initiatives at UNOC3 demonstrate how countries are mobilising across sectors and pollution sources to safeguard the health of the ocean and its biodiversity.
Missed opportunities to address the roots of the world’s crises and track progress
While UNOC3 sparked important momentum, it largely missed addressing one of the most critical threats to ocean and climate health: fossil fuels. Despite mounting scientific evidence on the harmful impacts of offshore oil and gas on marine ecosystems, explicit references were absent from most discussions, and entirely missing from the Nice Declaration. This omission drew sharp criticism, especially in the context of the Paris Agreement’s 10th anniversary. Only Small Island Developing States openly called for a fossil fuel phase-out to protect ocean health. Another missed opportunity was the lack of reporting on commitments made at UNOC1 and UNOC2. While new pledges were made, little attention was given to tracking progress on actions and investments made through past commitments. Without mechanisms for follow-up and transparency, promises risk remaining unfulfilled. Addressing root causes and ensuring accountability must now be priorities to truly safeguard the ocean.
On the road from Nice to Belém
The conference in Nice laid important groundwork by rallying political will, advancing ocean governance, and mobilising finance, particularly highlighting the vital role of the ocean in climate and biodiversity agendas. Brazil’s leadership – strengthened by commitments like Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support and the Blue NDC Challenge – positions COP30 as a critical moment to mainstream ocean health within global climate action. Yet, cautious optimism is essential. UNOC3 revealed significant gaps, notably the absence of fossil fuel reduction as a core discussion point and the need for robust accountability on past commitments. COP30 must address these shortcomings by ensuring that ocean-climate strategies are ambitious, integrated, and backed by measurable progress. Success will depend on translating political declarations into concrete policies, scaling sustainable finance, and fostering inclusive cooperation – especially with Small Island Developing States and frontline communities. If COP30 builds on the foundation laid in Nice with urgency and unity, it could mark a decisive step toward securing a just, healthy, and resilient ocean for the future. The world will be watching – and the ocean, once again, will be a vital test of global climate leadership.