United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC3)

Context (TH): The 3^rd UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3) was held in Nice, France to strengthen global ocean governance under SDG-14. It accelerated ratification of the BBNJ Treaty and supported marine goals under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

About the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)

UNOC is the main United Nations conference supporting SDG-14 (Life Below Water).
It operates under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Conference Series: Held in 2017 (New York), 2022 (Lisbon), and 2025 (Nice); next in 2028 (Chile & South Korea).
Multi-Stakeholder: Involves states, UN agencies, scientists, the private sector, and civil society.

Held in Nice, France. Host Countries: France and Costa Rica.
Theme: “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”
Objectives: Address governance, financing, scientific knowledge, and climate adaptation. Reinforce SDG 14: Life Below Water—focus on sustainable fisheries, pollution control, and marine conservation.
India’s Engagement: India advocated for marine diplomacy, sustainable fisheries, and open data.
Outcome Document: Culminated in the launch of the Nice Ocean Agreements.
BBNJ Progress: 56 countries ratified the treaty, nearing the 60-ratification threshold.

Launched by: Brazil and France
It urges countries to incorporate ocean-focused climate measures into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the COP30 to the UNFCCC in Belem, Brazil.
- The deadline for the 3^rd set of NDCs for 2035 was February 10, 2025. Only 21 countries of the 195 parties have made their submissions this year.
Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and Seychelles have already joined the initiative, committing to including ocean-focused climate action in their updated NDCs.

NDCs are national climate plans that outline a country’s efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change under the Paris Agreement adopted by 195 Parties at UNFCCC COP21 in Paris, France, 2015.

The “Nice Wake-Up Call” comes ahead of the next round of UN plastics treaty negotiations, INC-5.2, scheduled for August 5-14, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
It is a powerful push for a strong, legally binding global plastics treaty, especially as negotiations have been challenging and have missed previous deadlines.
It identifies five crucial elements necessary for an effective Global Plastics Treaty.
1. The need for a global target to reduce the primary production of plastic polymers across the world.
2. Phasing out the most problematic plastic products and chemicals of concern.
3. Improving the design of plastic products.
4. Effective means of implementation and finance that are commensurate with the ambition and guided by the polluter pays principle.
5. An effective treaty that can evolve over time.
The Nice Wake-Up Call has 96 signatories and remains open for others to join.

India is not among the signatories of the ‘Nice Wake-Up Call’
Backed the swift ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and advocated for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty.
Launched ‘SAHAV’ digital ocean data portal, underscoring its leadership in global marine governance.

Led By	Initiative	Purpose	Details
European Commission	Ocean Investment Package	Ocean governance and sustainable fisheries	€1 billion pledged for conservation and marine science
French Polynesia	Largest Marine Protected Area	Marine biodiversity protection	5 million sq. km of EEZ declared protected
Spain	New MPAs Commitment	Expansion of marine protected areas	Five MPAs announced, covering 25% marine area
Germany	Baltic Munitions Cleanup	Clearing explosive remnants from the seabed	€100 million allocated for cleanup in the Baltic and North Seas
New Zealand	Pacific Ocean Governance Fund	Support for Pacific marine governance	$52 million for governance and science in the Pacific Islands
Italy	Marine Surveillance Support	Improve monitoring in MPAs and oil zones	€6.5 million for Coast Guard surveillance systems
Canada	Climate Resilience Contribution	Support climate resilience in coastal states	$9 million for island and coastal resilience programs
Panama, Canada	Quiet Ocean Coalition	Tackle noise pollution in oceans	37 countries committed to noise pollution regulation
UN Agencies	One Ocean Finance	Mobilise blue economy investments	Finance strategy to support SDG-14 through industry investment