France and Costa Rica will co-host the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) from June 9-13, 2025, in Nice, to drive global ocean protection efforts.

• Nice Ocean Agreements: The conference seeks to establish the “Nice Ocean Agreements” as a binding international pact aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ocean conservation.

About UN Ocean Conference

• The UN Ocean Conference is a global platform to advance action on ocean conservation, focusing on implementing SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
• Origin: Initiated under the UN framework, the Ocean Conferences emerged from a growing recognition of the ocean’s central role in climate stability and human prosperity.
• Participants: UNOC3 will host around 100 heads of states and governments, researchers, scientists, business leaders, activists, and citizens committed to ocean sustainability.
• Conferences: The First UN Ocean Conference (2017, New York) emphasized voluntary commitments for ocean health, while the Second (2022, Lisbon) boosted international cooperation on marine protection.
  • UNOC3 aims to escalate from commitments to concrete, enforceable international agreements for protecting the ocean and addressing the governance gap.
• Priority Areas: The UNOC3 will focus on three priority areas
  • Priority 1: Working towards completion of multilateral processes linked to the ocean
  • Priority 2: Mobilizing finance resources for the SDG14 and supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy
  • Priority 3: Strengthen and better disseminate knowledge linked to marine sciences to enhance policy-making.

Expected Outcomes of Upcoming UNOC3

• Focus on Action-Oriented Outcomes: It aims to deliver tangible, operational actions for ocean governance, sustainable use, enhanced financing, and strengthening ocean-related knowledge.
• Strengthening Global Governance: Emphasis will be placed on ratifying the BBNJ Agreement to regulate high seas governance and end the current legal vacuum beyond national jurisdiction.
• Finance and Sustainable Innovation: UNOC3 will advocate for greater public and private sector financing and commitments towards promoting a sustainable blue economy across global trade, shipping, and tourism.

Challenges of the Marine Ecosystem

• Pollution and Waste: Over eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year, leading to severe marine pollution and harming aquatic life.
• Overexploitation: More than one-third of global fish stocks are overexploited, posing a threat to biodiversity and long-term food security.
• Climate Change Impacts: Ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and destruction of marine ecosystems are accelerating due to unchecked climate change.
• Governance Gaps: The high seas, constituting 60% of ocean areas, remain largely unregulated, resulting in environmental degradation and illegal activities like unreported fishing.
  

Initiatives to Protect the Ocean and Marine Ecosystem

• BBNJ Agreement: The BBNJ Agreement under the UN Convention aims to regulate activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction and needs ratification by 60 countries to become effective.
• Sustainable Blue Economy : UNOC3 will promote sustainable economic activities in marine industries to ensure the regeneration of marine resources alongside economic development.
• Enhancing Scientific Research: Global initiatives will focus on mobilizing science, innovation, and public education to better understand and conserve the vast, unexplored parts of the ocean.
• Awareness Initiatives: France will organize a “We Are the Ocean” Festival across Indian cities and “Blue Talks” in Delhi to foster dialogue, awareness, and policy recommendations for UNOC3.

Significance of the Ocean for India:

• The ocean supports India’s economy through trade, fisheries, and tourism along its 7,517 km coastline.
• It offers sustainable energy resources like offshore wind and tidal power crucial for India’s energy security.
• The ocean contributes to scientific research and climate regulation vital for India’s environmental sustainability.
  • To protect the ocean, we must first deepen and widely share our knowledge, as much of the ocean’s vast depths remain unexplored compared to the Moon and Mars.