Preparations underway for the UN Ocean Conference

The ocean is one of Earth's most vital ecosystems, essential for sustaining life and livelihoods. Its critical role in sustainable development has been widely recognized and increasingly mainstreamed in relevant global efforts. From climate regulation and food security to economic resilience and biodiversity conservation, the ocean is at the heart of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference will take place in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. This is the third UN Conference on the ocean to support the implementation of SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use of the ocean, seas and marine resources.

Building on the previous two Conferences in 2017 and 2022, it will be a moment of action and implementation, with the goal to identify further ways and means to achieve SDG 14. 

With the overarching theme "Accelerating Action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean", the Conference will feature 10 Plenary sessions and 10 Ocean Action Panels. The Ocean Action Panels will cover a wide range of critical thematic issues, including marine ecosystem conservation, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, climate-ocean-biodiversity linkages, sustainable ocean-based economy and finance for SDG 14, among others.

As one of the key outcomes, the Conference will adopt by consensus a concise, action-oriented and intergovernmentally-agreed political declaration, which along with a list of voluntary commitments (VCs), will be referred to as “Nice Ocean Action Plan”. 

The voluntary commitments are among the most significant legacies of the first two UN Ocean Conferences. To date, over 2,100 VCs have been registered, spanning all SDG 14 targets, with commitments made by Member States, philanthropic organizations, academia, the private sector, local governments and NGOs. 

As preparations are in full swing, the Conference is set to bring together global leaders, experts, and stakeholders to drive transformative solutions for conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.

For more information: 2025 UN Ocean Conference

Photo credit: www.unworldoceansday.org / Alex Rose