UN ocean summit in Nice closes with wave of commitments

1. Historic Consensus & Political Declaration

• 170+ countries adopted the "Nice Ocean Action Plan", pledging urgent action to protect oceans.

• Two-part framework:

  • Political declaration (Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action).

  • 800+ voluntary commitments (e.g., marine protection, pollution control, treaty ratifications).

2. Major Pledges & Initiatives

• EU: €1 billion for ocean conservation & sustainable fishing.

• French Polynesia: Creating the world’s largest MPA (5M sq km in its EEZ).

• Germany: €100M to clear WWII munitions in Baltic/North Seas.

• New Zealand: $52M for Pacific Islands’ ocean governance.

• Spain: Five new marine protected areas.

• 37-country coalition (Panama/Canada-led): High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean (tackling noise pollution).

• Indonesia & World Bank: Launched "Coral Bond" for reef conservation.

3. Progress on Global Treaties

• High Seas Treaty (BBNJ): Now 50 ratifications (60 needed for enforcement). 19 countries joined at UNOC3.

• Criticism: The U.S. was notably absent, and deep-sea mining remains contentious.

4. Focus on Science & Equity

• Small Island States (SIDS) demanded stronger loss & damage provisions.

• Costa Rica called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining (not included in the declaration).

• SDG14 (Life Below Water): New 30x30 target (protect 30% of oceans by 2030) after failing the 2020 goal (10%).

5. Road Ahead

• COP30 (2025, Brazil): Sustainable cooling & ocean resilience to be key themes.

• UNOC4 (2028, Chile/South Korea): Expected to review progress on:

  • BBNJ Treaty

  • WTO Fisheries Agreement

  • Global Plastics Treaty