UN Urged to Make France Ocean Summit a Defining Moment for Marine Protection

There is increasing pressure on world leaders to deliver more than just grandiose statements at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), which is set to take place in Nice.

Environmental campaigners and small island nations alike are calling for concrete action and funding to address the deteriorating health of the world’s oceans.

The conference, running from June 9 to 13, is hosted by France and Costa Rica, with approximately 70 heads of state and government expected for the opening ceremony. Among them is Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with the rest of the week expected to see mostly ministerial-level representation.

Described by the UN’s under-secretary-general Li Junhua as a pivotal moment, the summit comes following rising concerns about deep-sea mining, plastic pollution, and overfishing.

Li warned that the oceans are “in a state of emergency” and emphasised the need for collective global action.

Despite its significance, the summit does not have the formal power of a UN treaty negotiation or climate COP and will instead rely on voluntary commitments.

A “Nice Declaration” is expected to be adopted, promoting ocean protection, but Greenpeace has criticised the draft text as too weak, warning that the summit risks becoming a “talking shop” with no tangible results.

Pacific island nations and other vulnerable states are expected to demand strong financial commitments to support ocean conservation. Vanuatu’s environment minister, Ralph Regenvanu, stated that voluntary pledges alone are not enough.

France is also using the summit to push for the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, a landmark international agreement aimed at protecting marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.

Only 28 countries and the EU have ratified it so far, but 60 are needed for it to come into force. France’s oceans envoy, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, warned that failure to reach this number could spell failure for the summit.

The treaty is seen as essential to achieving the 30×30 target—a global pledge to protect 30% of oceans by 2030. If progress is made in Nice, it could have a significant influence on upcoming negotiations, including July’s International Seabed Authority meeting, where a controversial deep-sea mining code will be discussed, and the August negotiations on a global treaty to curb plastic waste.

However, past UN environmental summits have often struggled to reach consensus or secure sufficient funding.

Oceans remain the least funded of the UN’s sustainable development goals. Angelique Pouponneau, representing the Alliance of Small Island States, voiced doubts over whether the summit will match the ambition required, citing global distractions and multiple crises.

Still, co-host Costa Rica has hinted at the possibility of securing $100 billion in public and private commitments, with clear timelines and accountability structures. Maritza Chan Valverde, Costa Rica’s UN representative, said this summit would focus on “zero rhetoric, maximum results.”

Pepe Clarke from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) echoed the growing scepticism around global environmental gatherings but said Nice must be a turning point, warning that existing efforts have fallen far short of what is needed to preserve ocean health.

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