Story by Memory Chamisa
NICE, FRANCE – THE third United Nations Ocean Conference has begun in Nice, France, with nations expected to close the growing gap between marine protection declarations and conservation.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the conference brings together delegations from UN member states, stakeholders from international organisations, the research community, civil society and the private sector to discuss global ocean governance.
On top of this year’s agenda is the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, which was adopted in 2023, and to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and are largely ungoverned.
The treaty will only come into force once 60 countries ratify, with only just 32 countries having done so.
The Zimbabwe delegation is being led by the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, who has highlighted the significance of the conference, especially as the country is preparing to host the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands COP15 in July this year.
“With increasing threats from climate change, overuse of marine resources and pollution, governments need to use this opportunity to protect fragile underwater ecosystems. In Zimbabwe last year, Lake Chivero was another highlight that saw aqua suffering and it cascaded down to livelihoods being affected and that alone speaks to the conversation that is going on today. We will take this opportunity again to benchmark our preparations on welcoming the world to Victoria Falls in July for COP15 as well as invite partners to support us in having a successful conference,” Dr Ndlovu said.
Running under the theme: ‘Accelerating Action and Mobilising all Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean,’ the conference will feature deliberations such as blue finance, sustainable fisheries and plastic pollution.
The outcome of these discussions will form the basis of the Nice Ocean Action Plan a declaration of voluntary commitments to be adopted by consensus and presented at the United Nations in New York in July.
Taking place from June 9 to June 13, it is the largest ocean summit ever organised and could provide a vital chance for key agreements to be finalised, promises to be delivered upon, and new pledges to be made.
The ocean is critical in stabilising earth’s climate and sustaining life as it generates 50 percent of the oxygen humans breathe, absorbs around 30 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and captures more than 90 percent of the excess heat caused by those emissions.
Without a healthy ocean, experts warn, climate goals will remain out of reach.
The United Nations Oceans Conference aims to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14), to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources, with an emphasis on three priorities.
