The next United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) will take place in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025. After New York (USA) in 2017 and Lisbon (Portugal) in 2022, this third event on ocean conservation will be co-chaired by the governments of France and Costa Rica.
As the main objective of UNOC3 is to "accelerate progress on the conservation and sustainable management of the oceans", all key stakeholders are invited to join the discussions to achieve better results, including United Nations Member States, specialized agencies, civil society, the private sector and international donors.
Importance of the ocean
Why is the ocean important enough to attract so much attention? Human activities are threatening the health of the world's oceans. Yet the ocean is the primary source of protein for billions of people, and a means of livelihood for many. But the ocean's importance goes beyond the needs of local populations, or food and economic needs, to become a vital issue for all living things.
Most of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean, hence the term 'lungs of the planet'. Some marine plankton, plant plankton or microalgae, behave like green plants: through photosynthesis they absorb carbon dioxide and produce more than 50% of the oxygen in the air we breathe.
In addition to many other uses, such as medicine or recreation, the ocean is the world's largest carbon sink, "a natural reservoir that absorbs and stores carbon from the atmosphere through physical and biological mechanisms".
Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14)
The UNOC3 will be the opportunity to support the implementation of SDG 14, the least funded of all the SDGs. Three priorities will be highlighted with a view to producing a draft agreement: promoting multilateral processes, mobilizing sources of finance and strengthening policy-making.
Programme in parallel with international discussions
Three special events will be organized in parallel with international discussions.
- 4-6 June 2025: One Ocean Science Congress (Nice). Organized with the Ifremer Oceanographic Institute and the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research);
- 7 June 2025: Ocean Rise & Resilience Coalition (Nice). Organized by the city of Nice and the Ocean & Climate Platform, the Ocean Rise & Resilience Coalition Summit;
- 7-8 June 2025: Blue Economy and Finance Forum (Monaco). Organized by Monaco, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.
Other activities
Several other activities will take place during the meeting in Nice, including the World Oceans Day celebrations and the animation of a public space - Green Zone - dedicated to raising awareness about the development of ocean culture.