The United Nations Ocean Conference is taking place in Nice, France for the third time. During the week-long event, the largest ocean summit will set the tone for global ambition and aim for the adoption of a political declaration on ocean protection. Under the initiative of former French president Emmanuel Macron, governments are hoping to secure the ratification of the High Seas Treaty. The main themes of this conference are action, mobilisation and conservation.
Having previously been hosted by Sweden and Fiji in New York in 2017 and by Portugal and Kenya in Lisbon in 2022, this week’s third UN Ocean Conference is being co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, France. From 9 to 13 June, 187 governments, intergovernmental organisations, 3,000 members of the scientific community, indigenous peoples and local communities, and many more will present their support “for further urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans“.
This ambitious project focuses on three key priorities:
Working for efficient multilateral processes for the oceans, gathering financial resources, and developing the blue economy, as well as sharing and diffusing scientific knowledge.
A challenging treaty
For the first time, the High Seas Treaty will enable countries to designate marine protected areas in international waters. Until now, only national waters were subject to restrictions under the Montego Bay Convention.
The High Seas Alliance (HSA), a shorter version of the High Seas Treaty, was established in 2017 to create a new legally binding international instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Furthermore, in 2023, an agreement was reached on key substantive issues to address governance gaps. In order for the treaty to enter into force, it must be ratified by 60 countries; the UN Ocean Conference will help accelerate this process. To date, 49 countries have ratified the treaty, with a further 15 expected according to former French president Emmanuel Macron.
Once it enters into force, the High Seas Treaty will establish a legal framework for marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. By 2030, 30% of our oceans could be protected by international law. Human activities such as fishing, maritime transport and exploitation will now be subject to scrutiny for their “cumulative impacts” on ecosystems and ocean acidification. The goal is also to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of marine resources, including those of the seabed. Last but not least : the issue of funding. Campaign for Nature, which conducted a finance gap analysis, explained that around 15.8 billion dollars a year is needed to achieve the 30% goal. However, there is still a long way to go: in 2024, only 8.4% of the ocean was covered and protected. The EU has pledged €40 million to bring the High Seas Treaty to life.
International reaction
The urgency is real: the oceans are under threat from overfishing, pollution and the acidification of the waters caused by climate change, despite the fact that the oceans absorb 30% of CO2 emissions. Yesterday, the French president appeared on national television to urge people to take action, saying that species are disappearing and temperatures are rising.
A week ago, at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum, the Prince of Wales expressed optimism by emphasising the potential of “innovations and technologies”.
This issue is not only relevant to “big” countries; Latvia, Jordan and Malawi have also ratified the High Seas Treaty. Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance, expressed her enthusiasm: “This marks a powerful victory for everyone who worked tirelessly to prioritise the protection of the high seas in the global environmental agenda.”
US playing solo
The only shadow in sight was that of the United States of America, which did not send representatives. This followed Trump’s decision in April to pull out of the International Maritime Organization, and skipped the agreement on new greenhouse gas policies.
Moreover, in March, Edward Hertzman, counsellor for economic and social affairs at the US Mission to the UN, declared that the USA “rejects and denounces the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. While the EU is taking measures to protect and restore ocean health by adopting the Ocean Pact, which focuses on being cautious with deep-sea mining, the USA is accelerating the process. Six weeks ago, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Mineral and Resources”.
In this “race to the bottom”, Norway approved commercial exploration for 2024, but this was suspended due to opposition from politicians and civil society.
Up to 20 trillion dollars are estimated to be made from deep-sea mining, but studies also show that it is not financially viable for most companies because of the uncertainty and compared to the long-term net costs and irreparable ecological damage. The High Seas Treaty could extend the current restrictions of the UNCLOS to international waters, prohibiting unilateral decisions such as that of the US.
