UN ocean summit closes with wave of commitments
More than 170 countries attending the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice last week adopted by consensus a sweeping political declaration promising urgent action to protect the ocean.
“We close this historic week not just with hope, but with concrete commitment, clear direction, and undeniable momentum,” commented Li Junhua, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the summit.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the five-day event brought 15,000 participants, including more than 60 Heads of State and Government, to France’s Mediterranean coast.
With over 450 side events and nearly 100,000 visitors, the gathering, dubbed UNOC3, built on the momentum of previous ocean summits in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022). It culminated in a shared call to expand marine protection, curb pollution, regulate the high seas, and unlock financing for vulnerable coastal and island nations.
The conference’s outcome, known as the ‘Nice Ocean Action Plan’, is a two-part framework that comprises a political declaration and over 800 voluntary commitments by governments, scientists, UN agencies, and civil society since the previous conference.
“These range from advocacy by youth to deep-sea ecosystem literacy, capacity building in science and innovation, and pledges to ratify intergovernmental treaties,” Mr. Li said.
The pledges unveiled this week reflected the breadth of the ocean crisis. The European Commission announced an investment of €1 billion to support ocean conservation, science, and sustainable fishing, while French Polynesia pledged to create the world’s largest marine protected area, encompassing its entire exclusive economic zone – about five million square kilometres.
Germany launched a €100-million programme to remove underwater munitions from the Baltic and North Seas. In addition, New Zealand committed $52 million to strengthen ocean governance in the Pacific, and Spain announced five new marine protected areas.
A 37-country coalition led by Panama and Canada launched the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean to tackle underwater noise pollution. Meanwhile, Indonesia and the World Bank introduced a ‘Coral Bond’ to help finance reef conservation in the country.
One of the conference’s main objectives was to accelerate progress on the High Seas Treaty – known as the BBNJ agreement – adopted in 2023 to safeguard marine life in international waters. Sixty ratifications are needed for it to enter into force. Over the week, 19 countries ratified the accord, bringing the total number to 50, with others promising to ratify by year-end.
Despite the celebratory tone, tensions lingered. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) pushed for stronger language on loss and damage – harms inflicted by climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to. Others, including President Chaves of Costa Rica, called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can assess the risks – a step not included in the final declaration.
Still, the political declaration adopted in Nice, titled ‘Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action’, reaffirms the goal of protecting 30 percent of the ocean and land by 2030, while supporting global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Agreement (adopted in 2022, committing nations to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 through ambitious conservation targets and sustainable biodiversity management, and the IMO’s climate goals.
“The real test,” Mr. Li said, “is not what we said here in Nice – but what we do next.”
The fourth UN Ocean Conference is due to take place in 2028, co-hosted by Chile and South Korea.