Morocco strives for maritime leadership ahead of UN Ocean Summit amid global pressure to reform

As the world’s attention turns to the coastal city of Nice for the third United Nations Ocean Conference, Morocco finds itself seeking to balance its maritime ambitions with the structural reforms demanded by an increasingly fragile global ocean economy. 

Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica from June 9 to 13, 2025, this high-level gathering arrives at a time when marine ecosystems, often described as the planet’s second lungs alongside forests, face unprecedented strain from human activity.

According to a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the ocean economy has expanded 2.5 times between 1995 and 2020, surpassing global economic growth within the same timeframe. 

However, Morocco, despite its strategic access to both the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas and its growing reliance on maritime sectors, has yet to align fully with the international governance standards that increasingly shape access to funding, markets, and technical cooperation.

UNCTAD’s assessment points to a significant gap in treaty ratification. While Morocco has adopted the Port State Measures Agreement, it has not yet committed to the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement or the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty, placing it behind European peers such as Spain and Portugal that have embraced all three. 

As international financial mechanisms and trade preferences begin to hinge on legal compliance with such frameworks, Morocco’s partial engagement may increasingly limit its room to maneuver in global maritime diplomacy.

Nonetheless, the kingdom is determined to shape the discourse. Morocco will not only participate in the UNOC 2025 negotiations but will also host a summit of African leaders in parallel, asserting that the continent, despite contributing the least to marine degradation, remains among the most affected by rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. 

King Mohammed VI is expected to present national initiatives, including the forthcoming Dakhla Atlantic Port, designed with reduced carbon impact, and a pledge to expand marine protected zones from three percent in 2023 to ten percent by 2030.

France and Morocco have worked closely over the past months to prepare the conference agenda, which centers on the protection of marine biodiversity, financing for responsible blue growth, and enhancing scientific research on ocean health. 

At the heart of the conference are two transformative goals: the operationalization of the high seas biodiversity treaty adopted in 2023 and the establishment of a €100 billion global fund to support sustainable maritime projects. 

A Blue Finance Forum will bring together public and private actors to mobilize capital for sectors such as low-carbon shipping, coastal resilience, and sustainable aquaculture.

For Morocco, aquaculture represents a particularly strategic opportunity, given the global shift from traditional fishing to aquatic farming. With global aquaculture production now exceeding 94 million tons annually and accounting for over half of seafood consumption, regions like Dakhla, Larache, and Al Hoceima are positioned to attract investment, provided regulatory and environmental conditions are met.

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