Context:

The upcoming UN Ocean Conference 2025 on June 9–13, 2025 intends to address serious concerns and develop worldwide commitments to ocean protection.

Background of UN Conference

• Held in Lisbon (2022) and New York (2017), the first two UN Ocean Conferences set the foundation for worldwide oceanic cooperation.
• UNOC3 comes a decade after the Paris Agreement (COP21), emphasising the critical need for meaningful progress in ocean conservation as the problem worsens.
• The ocean is important for climate regulation, biodiversity, food security, and billions of people's lives, but it receives the least funding from SDGs.

Significance

• Coastal Significance: India has a 7,517-kilometer coastline, and one-third of its population lives in coastal areas.
• The Indian government's Vision 2030 includes the blue economy as one of the ten key pillars of growth, recognising the ocean's importance in daily life, the economy, and the environment.
• Shared Heritage and Resources: The ocean belongs to everyone; it provides food, shelter, energy, trading routes, resources, and scientific information.
• Human Dependence: The ocean provides a living for one-third of the world's population.

Objectives and Priorities of UNOC3

• Overarching Theme: The subject of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) is "Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean." This theme is the focal point of the conference. This demonstrates the critical need for revolutionary action to be taken in order to solve the rising issues that the ocean is currently facing.
• Primary Goal: The main objective of UNOC3 is to support the implementation of SDG 14, which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of life below water. The conference aims to accelerate progress toward this goal and drive collective efforts in ocean preservation.

Key Areas of Focus

• Governance: One of the key areas of focus is to advance multilateral processes and promote the ratification and implementation of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). This agreement is critical to address the legal vacuum in the high seas and strengthen ocean governance.
• Finance: A lot of attention is on organising money for the sustainable blue economy and ocean preservation projects. Given SDG 14's ongoing underfunding, which compromises initiatives to solve the world ocean catastrophe, this is absolutely vital.
• Science and Knowledge: Another top goal is to advance marine science and increase data distribution to back evidence-based decisions. By strengthening scientific knowledge, the conference aims to ensure that future policies are well-informed and effective.

Alarming State of the Ocean

• Pollution and Overexploitation: According to the Science journal, over 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, and one-third of fish stocks are being negatively impacted by overfishing. These issues are major contributors to the decline of ocean ecosystems.
• Climate Change Impact: Climate change presents several hazards to the ocean, including sea level rise, increasing ocean acidity, and damage of marine ecosystems. For coastal towns and marine life, these elements have terrible consequences.
• Governance and Funding Gaps: There is an urgent need for improved global governance of ocean resources and an increase in financial support for ocean preservation. The lack of both is a major barrier to the sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

The UN Ocean Conference 2025

• Global Convergence: The UNOC3 will be held from June 9–13, 2025, in Nice, France, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. It is expected to bring together a broad range of participants, including 100 heads of state and government, researchers, scientists, economic actors, and citizens.
• Objective: The conference aims to foster tangible, action-oriented commitments to protect the ocean. By focusing on real, measurable outcomes, it hopes to drive effective ocean conservation policies.

Nice Ocean Agreements

• Historic Opportunity: With the Paris Agreement marking its tenth anniversary, UNOC3 is viewed as a pivotal opportunity to create a binding global framework for ocean conservation.
• Alignment with SDGs: The “Nice Ocean Agreements” will be designed to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that efforts to protect the ocean are in harmony with broader global development objectives.
• Key Areas: The agreements will emphasize better governance, increased financing, and enhanced scientific knowledge of marine ecosystems to ensure the sustainability of ocean resources.

Way forward

• Need for Public and Private Financing: Ocean protection necessitates both public and private financing, as well as ongoing support for a sustainable blue economy.
• Ensuring Resource Regeneration: In order to continue to profit from the ocean's economic prospects, marine resources must be able to regenerate.
• Pledges at UNOC3: At UNOC3 in Nice, pledges will be made in areas such as global trade, shipping, tourism, and investment.
• Incomplete Knowledge: Despite mapping the Moon and Mars, we still don't have a full grasp of the ocean depths, which encompass 70% of the Earth's surface.
• Scientific Mobilisation: To effectively conserve the ocean, we must mobilise science, innovation, and education, as well as raise public awareness.

India’s Engagement Cultural and Educational Outreach: To prepare for UNOC3 and reflect on India's vision, France will stage the "We Are the Ocean" Festival during May. Locations & Events: The festival, organised by the Alliances Françaises in Delhi, Chennai, Puducherry, and the Museum of Goa, will feature: Film screenings: Workshops and discussions with specialists and artists from France and India.Public Participation: The festival welcomes the public to learn, express opinions, and engage in critical conversations about ocean-related issues.

Conclusion

The ocean is critical to global well-being and future generations.  UNOC3's collaborative initiatives aim to mark a watershed moment in ocean conservation and sustainable use.

Practice Questions: How can global governance mechanisms ensure equitable and sustainable use of oceanic resources? (250 Words)