The Third United Nations Ocean Conference opened this week in Nice with a stark warning from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who delivered a blunt assessment of humanity’s deteriorating relationship with the ocean.
“The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,” Guterres told the international assembly gathered at Port Lympia, Nice’s historic marina transformed into a high-security diplomatic hub known as the Blue Zone. “But we are failing it.”
The UN chief outlined the state of the world’s oceans, which are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions. He highlighted a cascade of environmental crises: overfishing, marine acidification, plastic pollution, and soaring ocean temperatures.
“Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are collapsing,” he said, warning that rising sea levels could soon “submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines — threatening many islands’ survival.”
The opening ceremony saw a powerful show of political support, with more than 50 Heads of State and Government in attendance. Among them were Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, affirming the growing recognition that ocean health is intimately linked to climate stability, global food security, and environmental justice.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the five-day summit, commonly referred to as UNOC3, has drawn participation from over 120 countries, adding momentum to ongoing efforts to protect the planet’s marine ecosystems.
French President Emmanuel Macron used his remarks to make a forceful defense of science, international law, and collective resolve.
“The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale. If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling.”
President Emmanuel Macron
He argued that preserving the oceans cannot be left to markets or political whims. “The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts,” he told the gathering. “The first response is therefore multilateralism.”
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles also addressed the conference, echoing the urgent tone of the event. He thanked Guterres for placing the ocean at the forefront of the global agenda and emphasized that the time for talking had passed.
“The ocean is speaking to us — with bleached coral reefs, with storms, with wounded mangroves,” Chaves said. “There’s no time left for rhetoric. Now is the time to act.”
He condemned decades of human neglect, referring to the sea as an “infinite pantry and global waste dump.” Chaves called for a profound shift in perspective—from exploitation to protection.
“Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started,” he said. “We are now declaring peace with the ocean.”
In one of the most notable interventions of the day, Chaves urged the international community to implement a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters. He argued that such activities should not move forward until their ecological risks are fully understood, a position that already has the backing of 33 nations.
Treaty Within Reach
A key focus of the summit is to accelerate the implementation of the High Seas Treaty, formally known as the BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) accord. Adopted in 2023, the treaty aims to protect life in international waters and requires 60 countries to ratify it to come into effect.
President Macron revealed promising developments on this front.
“In addition to the 50 or so ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them. This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented.”
President Emmanuel Macron
Whether the 60-nation threshold is crossed during the summit or in its immediate aftermath, Macron concluded, “it’s a win.”
As the conference continues, the pressure builds on nations to turn promises into protection and shift the tide on ocean degradation.
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