At the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, flanked by Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles and French President Emmanuel Macron, urged world leaders to ratify a treaty aimed at protecting international waters from overfishing, plastic pollution, and warming oceans.
Addressing the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice on Monday, Guterres described the oceans as “our greatest shared resource,” warning that the international community is “failing them.” He cited collapsing fish stocks, rising sea levels, and increasing ocean acidification as alarming indicators of marine degradation.
The conference opened in the French coastal city with over 100 delegations in attendance, including around 50 heads of state or government, alongside thousands of delegates, scientists, NGO representatives, and civil society actors committed to protecting the oceans.
In his opening remarks, Guterres stressed that illegal fishing, plastic pollution, and rising sea temperatures are threatening vulnerable ecosystems and the livelihoods of communities that depend on them.
Oceans serve as a crucial buffer against climate change, but as they warm, marine ecosystems are destroyed and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide is diminished. Oceans produce about 50% of the oxygen we breathe, absorb approximately 30% of CO₂ emissions, and capture over 90% of the excess heat generated by those emissions.
A Crisis in the Oceans
Scientists warn that the loss of ecosystems, climate change, plastic pollution, and the overuse of marine resources are driving the oceans to a point of no return. “These are symptoms of a system in crisis,” Guterres said. “They feed off each other, dismantling food chains, destroying livelihoods, and worsening insecurity.”
The High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023, allows countries to create marine protected areas in international waters—regions that cover nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans and remain largely unregulated. However, the treaty will only enter into force once ratified by 60 countries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed optimism that the threshold would be reached before the end of the year. Currently, only around 1% of international waters—also known as the high seas—are protected.
President Emmanuel Macron, co-hosting the event alongside Costa Rica, told delegates that 50 countries have ratified the treaty, with 15 others pledging to do so soon.
This renewed push to turn years of promises into tangible ocean protection comes amid a withdrawal of U.S. funding for climate projects and a trend among some European nations to scale back their green commitments in an effort to bolster struggling economies and respond to the rise of far-right movements.
Notably, the United States is boycotting the Nice summit. Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, confirmed that Washington has not ratified the treaty and will not do so during the conference. “If they don’t ratify it, they won’t be bound by it,” she said. “Implementation will take years, but it’s essential that we start now—and we won’t let the absence of the United States hold us back.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, flanked by Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles and French President Emmanuel Macron
Mobilizing Investment for the Blue Economy
Ocean experts view the conference as a key opportunity to mobilize investment for the so-called “blue economy,” which has long struggled to attract substantial financial commitments.
During a two-day meeting of bankers and investors held in Monaco over the weekend, donors and private-sector investors, along with public development banks, pledged €8.7 billion (around $10 billion) over five years to support a regenerative and sustainable ocean economy.
According to the UN, investment in ocean health amounted to only $10 billion between 2015 and 2019—far below the estimated $175 billion needed annually.
To bridge this funding gap, the United Nations announced on Sunday the development of a new ocean finance facility, expected to launch in 2028. The facility aims to unlock billions of dollars for restoring ocean health by mobilizing diverse sources of capital.
Running through June 13, the conference aims to rally international support for protecting the world’s oceans and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14: conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources.
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