170 nations in Nice commit to expand marine protected areas, combat pollution

Nice (France), June 14 The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference concluded with more than 170 countries adopting an inter-governmentally agreed declaration committing to urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the world's oceans.

The political declaration titled ‘Our ocean, Our future: United for urgent action’ calls for concrete steps to expand marine protected areas, decarbonise maritime transport, combat marine pollution, and mobilise finance for vulnerable coastal and island nations, among others.

The declaration -- together with bold voluntary commitments by states and other entities -- constitutes the Nice Ocean Action Plan, successfully concluding the five-day conference with a boost to environmental multilateralism.

“Pledges made this week must be rigorously implemented, tracked, and scaled,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, who served as the conference Secretary-General.

“The momentum we have generated must carry us forward to COP30, global and regional ocean forums, and national decision-making, and translate into decisive national action.”

Voluntary commitments made during the conference include: The European Commission, as part of its Ocean Pact, announced an investment of 1 billion EUR to support ocean conservation, science and sustainable fishing.

French Polynesia pledged to create the world’s largest marine protected area to safeguard its seas, covering its entire exclusive economic zone, approximately 5 million square km (1.93 million square miles).

New Zealand committed over $52 million towards supporting enhanced ocean governance, management and science in the Pacific Islands region.

Germany launched a 100 million EUR immediate action programme for the recovery and clearance of legacy munitions in the German Baltic and North Seas -- the first of its kind.

Indonesia, the World Bank and other partners launched a Coral Bond, a groundbreaking financial instrument designed to mobilise private capital to conserve coral reef ecosystems within marine protected areas in Indonesia.

Thirty-seven countries, led by Panama and Canada, launched the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean -- the first high-level political initiative to tackle ocean noise pollution on a global scale.

Italy committed 6.5 million EUR to strengthen surveillance by the Coast Guard in marine protected areas and on oil platforms, including through a satellite surveillance system capable of detecting potential oil spills in real time.

Canada contributed 9 million US dollars to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance to help Small Island Developing States and coastal developing countries increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change through nature-based solutions.

Spain committed to creating five new marine protected areas that would allow protection of 25 per cent of its marine territory.

A collective of United Nations agencies and global partners launched a co-design process for One Ocean Finance -- a bold new effort to unlock billions in new financing from ocean-dependent industries and blue economy sectors.

A United Nations Ocean Conference report, listing the voluntary commitments in an annex, will be published after the summit.

In a big step towards entry into force of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), 19 more states ratified the agreement in the margins of the conference, and 20 more signed it, bringing the total number of signatures to 136, and ratifications to 50 states plus the European Union.

Ten more ratifications are needed for the agreement to enter into force.

The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in June 2023, is a crucial legal instrument to protect marine life and ecosystems in the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond any country’s jurisdiction.

From June 9 to 13, as many as 55 heads of state and government, along with 15,000 participants from civil society, business, and science, participated in the UN Ocean Conference co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, including more than 450 side events, to accelerate action and mobilise all actors to conserve and sustainably use the world's oceans.

Ten ocean action panels produced forward-looking recommendations to guide implementation across key themes -- from marine pollution and nature-based solutions to the role of women, youth, and indigenous peoples in ocean governance.

The fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028 will be co-hosted by Chile and Korea.

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