he ocean is not only home to a vast array of species, it is also integral to life on Earth more broadly. The UN Ocean Conference—as a conference dedicated to UN Sustainable Development Goal 14—seeks to mitigate the harm done by human pollution, fishing, and the climate crisis to the world’s largest ecosystem. This mission is particularly critical today, as a push by governments to economically develop their maritime holdings means we will either develop a sustainable, “blue” economy, or heightened maritime economic activity could devastate our oceans—with implications for all life on earth.
The 2025 UN Ocean Conference convenes from the 4th to the 8th of June in Nice, France, co–hosted by France and Costa Rica. This year’s conference centers on “accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.” In short, the purpose of this event is to use existing frameworks developed at the 2017 and 2022 conferences to continue to restore and protect the ocean, while also developing global partnerships to ensure regulations and policies are universally shared.
Parties to the conference will consider, negotiate, and vote on the Nice Ocean Action Plan, the aspirational outcome of the conference. The action plan comprises a global declaration drafted in December 2024 to protect and restore the ocean as well as a specific strategy, devised at the conference, for addressing the concerns and aspirations of the global declaration.
The originally drafted declaration failed to garner any great consensus among UN member states and civil society organizations. An updated version was released in May—intended specifically for adoption at the UN Ocean Conference—which takes into consideration comments on the original draft. The final draft of the declaration emphasizes UN member states’ commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the need for urgent action to be taken, specifically concerning protecting the ocean as a diverse ecosystem and promoting sustainable blue economies. The declaration also demonstrates the need for improving global agreements and backing scientific research and innovation.
The Nice Ocean Action Plan will also include initiatives and strategies that governing bodies, scientists, businesses, and other volunteers can adopt in the short and long–term to restore and protect the ocean. The agenda allocates the first three days to The One Ocean Science Congress, the following day for The Summit on Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience, with a slight overlap for The Blue Economy Finance Forum, which will occur on the final two days. The discussions throughout all these events will revolve around ten sub–themes selected by stakeholders.
UN Ocean Conference 2025 sub–themes
Stakeholders suggested this theme to develop global regulations around ocean protection. This could include globally protecting certain species from illegal trafficking and fishing, marking certain ocean areas as protected environments, defining sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, and strengthening coast guard networks.
Discussions for this sub–theme will center around increasing global education about the urgency of protecting the ocean to spur further action among all groups of people. This can be done by sharing real–time global data to create and improve scientific models, listening to Indigenous peoples share their different means of sustainably interacting with the ocean, and creating a “global ocean science fund.”
The question of financing is important for stakeholders, although many have suggested means of financing the Nice Ocean Action Plan. These suggestions range from partnerships with local businesses and NGOs to investing in ocean–related startups and even creating “tradable biodiversity conservation credits.” Other stakeholders mention the importance of creating a blockchain across all ocean ports and ending financing for offshore oil and gas companies.
As the sub–theme suggests, stakeholders want to develop global and area–specific regulations to remove and prevent pollution in the ocean. Some suggested means include having citizens report ocean pollutants on an app, improving sewage infrastructure, and repurposing invasive ocean species into sustainable materials.
Most stakeholders agree that small–scale sustainable fisheries need to be supported by government policies, regulations, and protections. Stakeholders also emphasize the need to protect certain aquatic species from fishing, especially sharks, and to improve fishing gear to be more sustainable.
Under this sub–theme, ten stakeholders shared the initiative of “[Prohibiting] vessels over 25 meters from operating within 12 nautical miles of the coast.” Other suggestions addressed protecting marginalized populations' access to ocean spaces and jobs, developing better sustainable energy sources, and creative nature–based infrastructure to better mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Stakeholders further explore the importance of developing nature–based infrastructure in this sub–theme, with particular focus on asking local communities what improvements they may need for ocean–related matters, like fisheries or aquaculture. Stakeholders also argue against allowing more offshore oil and gas, encouraging an expedited transition away from fossil fuels as an energy source.
Perhaps the most crucial sub–theme, the success of the Nice Ocean Action Plan entirely depends on cooperation between governments, businesses, and locals determined to protect the ocean. Stakeholders suggest including youth voices in conversations, creating a framework that balances human, economic, and nature policies, and creating community and business initiatives to encourage action.
As the ocean is a major food source, stakeholders are urging governments to work to establish global sustainable fishing and aquaculture regulations. Especially for countries with food insecurity, some stakeholders believe global action should be taken to help develop their sustainable blue economies. A specific example of this is seaweed farming.
Although the stakeholders have a range of areas of interest, they broadly agree that global regulations must be set in place and monitored to protect the ocean. Some suggest tracking the impact and enforcement of these regulations through shared digital systems that allow real–time updates. They also agree that scientific research must be at the forefront and that these regulations must balance biodiversity solutions and climate adaptability.
Ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, Costa Rica’s UN ambassador is stressing the urgency of adopting the Nice Ocean Action Plan, stating that while it may typically take years for this level of global and local cooperation, we only have months to save the ocean. Given this time constraint, the International Science Council (ISC) will play a key advisory role at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, intending to keep the discussions science–oriented and productive. Thus, despite the varied suggestions of the stakeholders, the conference must establish the most urgent objectives for protecting the ocean and establish a framework that can continue to improve oceanic regulations and infrastructure.
Of course, the success of this conference will protect the world’s largest ecosystem; however, the World Economic Forum has also cited the enormous potential financial benefits of embracing a global sustainable blue economy. Similarly, the decisions agreed upon at the 2025 conference could have a resounding influence on the progress toward reaching the UN’s other sustainable goals.
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As UN Ocean Conference meets, time for oceans may be short
June 5, 2025
As this year’s UN Ocean Conference prepares to convene, experts warn that time to protect the world’s largest ecosystem is running out. Diplomatic Courier’s Stephanie Gull explores the conference’s agenda, and how it intends to foster cooperation at international and local levels.
T
he ocean is not only home to a vast array of species, it is also integral to life on Earth more broadly. The UN Ocean Conference—as a conference dedicated to UN Sustainable Development Goal 14—seeks to mitigate the harm done by human pollution, fishing, and the climate crisis to the world’s largest ecosystem. This mission is particularly critical today, as a push by governments to economically develop their maritime holdings means we will either develop a sustainable, “blue” economy, or heightened maritime economic activity could devastate our oceans—with implications for all life on earth.
The 2025 UN Ocean Conference convenes from the 4th to the 8th of June in Nice, France, co–hosted by France and Costa Rica. This year’s conference centers on “accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.” In short, the purpose of this event is to use existing frameworks developed at the 2017 and 2022 conferences to continue to restore and protect the ocean, while also developing global partnerships to ensure regulations and policies are universally shared.
Parties to the conference will consider, negotiate, and vote on the Nice Ocean Action Plan, the aspirational outcome of the conference. The action plan comprises a global declaration drafted in December 2024 to protect and restore the ocean as well as a specific strategy, devised at the conference, for addressing the concerns and aspirations of the global declaration.
The originally drafted declaration failed to garner any great consensus among UN member states and civil society organizations. An updated version was released in May—intended specifically for adoption at the UN Ocean Conference—which takes into consideration comments on the original draft. The final draft of the declaration emphasizes UN member states’ commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the need for urgent action to be taken, specifically concerning protecting the ocean as a diverse ecosystem and promoting sustainable blue economies. The declaration also demonstrates the need for improving global agreements and backing scientific research and innovation.
The Nice Ocean Action Plan will also include initiatives and strategies that governing bodies, scientists, businesses, and other volunteers can adopt in the short and long–term to restore and protect the ocean. The agenda allocates the first three days to The One Ocean Science Congress, the following day for The Summit on Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience, with a slight overlap for The Blue Economy Finance Forum, which will occur on the final two days. The discussions throughout all these events will revolve around ten sub–themes selected by stakeholders.
UN Ocean Conference 2025 sub–themes
Stakeholders suggested this theme to develop global regulations around ocean protection. This could include globally protecting certain species from illegal trafficking and fishing, marking certain ocean areas as protected environments, defining sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, and strengthening coast guard networks.
Discussions for this sub–theme will center around increasing global education about the urgency of protecting the ocean to spur further action among all groups of people. This can be done by sharing real–time global data to create and improve scientific models, listening to Indigenous peoples share their different means of sustainably interacting with the ocean, and creating a “global ocean science fund.”
The question of financing is important for stakeholders, although many have suggested means of financing the Nice Ocean Action Plan. These suggestions range from partnerships with local businesses and NGOs to investing in ocean–related startups and even creating “tradable biodiversity conservation credits.” Other stakeholders mention the importance of creating a blockchain across all ocean ports and ending financing for offshore oil and gas companies.
As the sub–theme suggests, stakeholders want to develop global and area–specific regulations to remove and prevent pollution in the ocean. Some suggested means include having citizens report ocean pollutants on an app, improving sewage infrastructure, and repurposing invasive ocean species into sustainable materials.
Most stakeholders agree that small–scale sustainable fisheries need to be supported by government policies, regulations, and protections. Stakeholders also emphasize the need to protect certain aquatic species from fishing, especially sharks, and to improve fishing gear to be more sustainable.
Under this sub–theme, ten stakeholders shared the initiative of “[Prohibiting] vessels over 25 meters from operating within 12 nautical miles of the coast.” Other suggestions addressed protecting marginalized populations' access to ocean spaces and jobs, developing better sustainable energy sources, and creative nature–based infrastructure to better mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Stakeholders further explore the importance of developing nature–based infrastructure in this sub–theme, with particular focus on asking local communities what improvements they may need for ocean–related matters, like fisheries or aquaculture. Stakeholders also argue against allowing more offshore oil and gas, encouraging an expedited transition away from fossil fuels as an energy source.
Perhaps the most crucial sub–theme, the success of the Nice Ocean Action Plan entirely depends on cooperation between governments, businesses, and locals determined to protect the ocean. Stakeholders suggest including youth voices in conversations, creating a framework that balances human, economic, and nature policies, and creating community and business initiatives to encourage action.
As the ocean is a major food source, stakeholders are urging governments to work to establish global sustainable fishing and aquaculture regulations. Especially for countries with food insecurity, some stakeholders believe global action should be taken to help develop their sustainable blue economies. A specific example of this is seaweed farming.
Although the stakeholders have a range of areas of interest, they broadly agree that global regulations must be set in place and monitored to protect the ocean. Some suggest tracking the impact and enforcement of these regulations through shared digital systems that allow real–time updates. They also agree that scientific research must be at the forefront and that these regulations must balance biodiversity solutions and climate adaptability.
Ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, Costa Rica’s UN ambassador is stressing the urgency of adopting the Nice Ocean Action Plan, stating that while it may typically take years for this level of global and local cooperation, we only have months to save the ocean. Given this time constraint, the International Science Council (ISC) will play a key advisory role at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, intending to keep the discussions science–oriented and productive. Thus, despite the varied suggestions of the stakeholders, the conference must establish the most urgent objectives for protecting the ocean and establish a framework that can continue to improve oceanic regulations and infrastructure.
Of course, the success of this conference will protect the world’s largest ecosystem; however, the World Economic Forum has also cited the enormous potential financial benefits of embracing a global sustainable blue economy. Similarly, the decisions agreed upon at the 2025 conference could have a resounding influence on the progress toward reaching the UN’s other sustainable goals.
