‘We are the oceans’

From June 9 till June 13 (2025), France will be hosting the third United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (UNOC, or United Nations Ocean Conference).

For this crucial event, some 100 heads of state and government will converge, as well as tens of thousands of researchers, scientists, economic actors, activists and citizens worldwide. On this occasion, France’s aim will be clear: protecting the oceans through tangible action.

The oceans belong to all of us. They feed and protect our peoples, inspire dreams, and enable travel. They offer sustainable energy, a means of trade, resources and infinite scientific knowledge.

One in three people relies on the oceans for their livelihood, yet the oceans are in danger. They remain little-known, with neither global governance nor the financing needed for their preservation. The numbers are worrying: more than eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans yearly, according to a study in ‘Science’. More than a third of fish stocks also suffer from overfishing, while ocean acidification, rising sea levels and the destruction of marine ecosystems gain pace, as direct consequences of climate change.

We must act now. More than ever before, we must make sure that multilateral action is equal to the challenges of protecting the oceans.

Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, which established a binding global framework to limit climate change, the third United Nations Ocean Conference is a historic opportunity. The ‘Nice Ocean Agreements’ will form a genuine international compact for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN in 2015.

To this end, the talks in Nice need to be very operational and action-focused, aiming for better governance, more financing and greater knowledge of the seas.

When it comes to governance, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is essential. The high seas, which represent more than 60 per cent of the oceans, are currently the only space not governed by international law. The lack of oversight and common rules is causing a real social and environmental disaster, with massive hydrocarbon and plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing techniques, and the taking of protected mammals. To end this legal vacuum, we need the BBNJ Agreement to be ratified by 60 countries, to come into force.

Protecting the oceans also requires public and private financing and support for a sustainable blue economy. We need to ensure marine resources can regenerate to continue enjoying the incredible economic opportunities offered by the oceans. In Nice, several commitments will be announced for global trade, shipping, tourism and investment.

Lastly, how can we protect what we know not – or know insufficiently? We need to enhance our knowledge of the oceans and share it better. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the Moon or Mars, but the depths of the oceans – which cover 70 per cent of Earth’s surface – remain unknown. Together, we need to use science, innovation, and education to better understand the oceans and raise public awareness.

In the context of ever faster climate change and overexploitation of marine resources, the oceans are not just one more issue: they are everyone’s business. We must not forget our shared responsibility in the context of challenges to multilateralism. The oceans join us all together and are central to our future. Together, we can make the third United Nations Ocean Conference a turning point for our peoples, future generations, and our planet.

With a 1000km coastline and a strategic position at the crossroads of several commercial routes, seas and oceans are a matter of prime importance for Pakistan. At the environmental level, climate change and rising sea waters can quickly and dramatically impact the shores of the country and megacities like Karachi. As temperatures increase, with ice melting, heatwaves, droughts and disastrous floods, the increase in sea level can directly impact people's daily lives and the economy of Pakistan. It can endanger the country's productive system and food resources and generate massive internal displacements. The whole economic and social balance of the country can then be challenged.

However, seas and oceans are also opportunities for Pakistan: they can allow the country to diversify its economy more, thanks to the blue economy. Pakistan can take advantage of the activities and income from fishing, coastal tourism, maritime transport, port infrastructure and, more generally, connectivity. Specialists believe that with well-planned strategies, the blue economy in Pakistan could reach more than 10 per cent of the country's GDP in the coming decades, compared to less than 3.0 per cent today.

Seas and oceans, therefore, constitute a challenge of paramount importance for Pakistan, all coastal countries, and beyond. Only collective actions can allow us to take this challenge up. But seas and oceans are also a tremendous opportunity for all of us, since we exploit them in a balanced and responsible way.

The writer is the ambassador of France to Pakistan.