Nice: A rare moment of global harmony echoed across the Mediterranean coast as ship horns sounded in celebration of the conclusion of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), where more than 170 nations adopted a landmark declaration committing to urgent marine protection.
Hosted jointly by France and Costa Rica, the five-day summit attracted over 15,000 attendees — including more than 60 heads of state and government — and culminated in the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a sweeping package of political commitments and over 800 voluntary initiatives to tackle the worsening ocean crisis.
“This historic week ends with more than hope — it ends with real commitment and undeniable momentum,” said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the summit.
The event built on the momentum of prior conferences in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022), drawing over 100,000 visitors and featuring 450 side events. Key goals included expanding marine protected areas, addressing pollution and high seas governance, and financing ocean resilience for coastal and island nations.
Among the major announcements:
The European Commission committed €1 billion toward marine conservation and sustainable fishing.
French Polynesia vowed to create the world’s largest marine protected zone, covering its entire exclusive economic area — approximately 5 million square kilometers.
Germany launched a €100 million effort to clean underwater munitions in the North and Baltic Seas.
New Zealand pledged $52 million to boost Pacific Ocean governance.
Spain introduced five new marine protected areas.
A new High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, led by Panama and Canada, was launched to address the growing problem of underwater noise pollution, while Indonesia and the World Bank unveiled a ‘Coral Bond’ to finance reef protection.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the conference with a warning about the global neglect of oceans, calling them “the ultimate global commons.” By the closing plenary, French special envoy Olivier Poivre d’Arvor underscored the need for follow-through, noting, “We have moved forward — but cannot afford to go back.”
A major milestone was reached in the race to enact the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ agreement), adopted in 2023 to protect biodiversity in international waters. With 19 new ratifications announced during the summit, the total now stands at 50 — just 10 short of the 60 needed for the treaty to enter into force.
However, the absence of senior U.S. representation and recent moves by President Donald Trump to support deep-sea mining cast a shadow over otherwise unified efforts. “The abyss is not for sale,” said President Macron during the week, a sentiment echoed by multiple leaders.
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo André-Tinoco called for stronger accountability on financial commitments, particularly in support of vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who demanded greater attention to climate-related loss and damage.
UN Ocean Envoy Peter Thomson reflected on the journey from the early days of SDG14 (life below water), praising the “incredible engagement” seen in Nice and expressing hope that treaties on biodiversity, fisheries subsidies, and plastic pollution would be implemented by the time the next summit arrives in 2028, hosted by Chile and South Korea.
The political declaration adopted in Nice — titled “Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action” — reinforces the global pledge to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030 and aligns with major international frameworks, including the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Agreement and the IMO’s climate objectives.
Despite ongoing tensions over issues like deep-sea mining, many left Nice with a sense of cautious optimism. “The real test,” Li concluded, “is not in the promises made — but in the actions we take moving forward.”
As delegates departed and the sun set over the French Riviera, the ocean remained — vast, threatened, and at the heart of a fragile global promise.
