The Third United Nations Ocean Conference

Promise versus Outcomes

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The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice in June 2025, advanced global action on Sustainable Development Goal 14—Life Below Water. Focused on multilateral cooperation, financing, and marine science, it emphasized ratifying the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) to protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions. India highlighted its coastal initiatives, marine pollution control, and the SAHAV digital ocean data portal as key contributions to sustainable ocean governance. Keep reading this article by Arvind Kumar to know more...

The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, France, from June 9–13, 2025. Previous conferences were held in New York (2017, co-hosted with Fiji and Sweden) and Lisbon (2022, co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya). The UNOC has been co-hosted triennially by a developed country and a developing nation, so that leaders of the 193 UN members have a broad range of talks on maritime affairs and adopt a joint declaration for international maritime cooperation. Korea will host the fourth United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC4) in 2028.

The aim of UNOC3 was to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. The Summit marked a pivotal moment to advance multilateral ocean processes, mobilize financing, and strengthen scientific-political synergies. The theme of the Conference was ‘Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean,’ with three main priorities, known as Nice Ocean Action Plan.

Priority 1: Work towards the successful completion of ocean-related multilateral processes to raise the level of ambition for ocean protection.

Priority 2: Mobilizing funding for SDG14 and supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy.