Li Junhua, Conference Secretary-General, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Costa Rica and Olivier Poivre D’Arvor, Special Envoy of the French Republic for UN Ocean Conference address the final press briefing of UNOC3. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS) – With the future of the world’s oceans hanging in the balance, global leaders, scientists, and activists gathered in the French Riviera city of Nice this week for the historic UN Ocean Conference, where France declared a new era of high seas governance and marine protection.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, France’s Special Envoy for the UN Ocean Conference, said the global gathering marks a turning point for ocean conservation, with 174 delegations and 64 heads of state rallying behind a common goal—to transform the world’s oceans from a lawless expanse into a protected global commons governed by science, cooperation, and binding treaties.
“The high seas are no longer a playground. They are now a protected space,” d’Arvor told reporters, announcing that the UN’s landmark treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) will officially enter into force by early January 2026.
Dubbed the “Treaty of Nice,” the pact seeks to place nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean under international governance, a move hailed by conservationists as the biggest step forward for marine protection in decades. With 56 countries having ratified the treaty and 14 more expected to follow before the ceremonial launch in New York on September 23, the agreement meets the 60-country threshold required for it to become law.
“This is a foundational moment,” said d’Arvor. “Nice could become for ocean governance what Rio was for climate and biodiversity.”
The treaty, negotiated over 15 years, aims to regulate the high seas—areas beyond national jurisdiction that have long been vulnerable to overfishing, pollution, and unregulated extraction. It also lays the groundwork for the first-ever Ocean COP, expected by the end of 2026, where signatory countries will finalize implementation protocols, establish a permanent secretariat, and begin real enforcement through satellites, naval fleets, and drones.
Despite tensions in multilateral diplomacy, France—with co-host Costa Rica and the UN—has managed to galvanize widespread support. In a strong show of unity, even geopolitical rivals such as China, India, and the European Union endorsed the treaty, while Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Indonesia ratified it during the summit.
D’Arvor also used the occasion to caution against a renewed push for deep-sea mining, particularly in light of a recent U.S. executive order authorizing a preliminary exploration mission. “The deep sea is not for sale—no more than Antarctica or Greenland,” he warned, pledging that a coalition of 40 countries would continue to block any attempt to adopt a mining code without consensus under the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
“Those who hoped the code would be adopted at Kingston this July have lost the battle. I hope they’ve lost the war,” he added.
In parallel with the treaty’s legal strides, the conference saw the launch of the European Ocean Pact, a collaborative ocean exploration initiative unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The pact, backed by countries including India and China, aims to correct the stark imbalance in research funding—currently, ocean exploration receives 250 times less funding than space programs.
By bringing together oceanographic institutes, space agencies, and private sector players, the initiative promises to generate a shared global database to help map and understand the ocean in unprecedented detail. “In 15 years, we aim to fully understand the ocean—or at least enough to truly protect it,” said d’Arvor.
He stressed that science—not political posturing—will be the new compass for ocean policy. “This is the victory of science. The ocean has long been a victim of exploitation and ignorance. But now, it can become a platform for cooperation and peace.”
Yet challenges remain. While Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) are relatively well managed, questions linger about compliance and enforcement. The true test, observers say, will be translating high-level pledges into measurable progress.
Still, the momentum in Nice has brought renewed hope for ocean defenders around the globe. “We are not there yet,” said d’Arvor. “But for the first time, we are truly moving forward—and there is no turning back.”
Fishers in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria drag seized fishing nets to deter overfishing of dwindling nile perch stocks. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS) – As the curtains draw on the UN Ocean Conference, a flurry of voluntary commitments and political declarations has injected fresh impetus into global efforts to conserve marine biodiversity. With the world’s oceans facing unprecedented threats, high-level biodiversity officials and negotiators are sounding the alarm and calling for renewed momentum—and funding—to deliver on long-standing promises.
At a press briefing today, conservation leaders stressed that integrating marine biodiversity into broader biodiversity frameworks and aligning funding strategies with climate goals will be essential for African governments to turn the tide.
“It is a moment of reckoning,” declared Astrid Schomacher, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). “We are not on track to meet our 2030 biodiversity targets. Yet, the political energy here reminds us that progress is still possible—if we move together and fast.”
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets out 23 urgent action targets to be achieved by 2030, aiming to halt biodiversity loss and safeguard nature’s contributions to people. These goals call for the protection and restoration of ecosystems, with at least 30 percent of land and sea areas conserved and degraded habitats restored. The framework urges halting species extinction, curbing pollution and invasive species, and mitigating climate impacts on biodiversity.
It also emphasizes sustainable use of wild species, greener urban spaces, and benefit-sharing from genetic resources. Crucially, it calls for integrating biodiversity into policies and business practices, redirecting harmful subsidies, boosting global finance for biodiversity to USD 200 billion annually, and strengthening capacity and cooperation, especially for developing nations. The roadmap recognizes the vital role of Indigenous peoples, equity, and inclusive governance in reversing nature loss, in line with the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
African governments are lagging behind in meeting global biodiversity and sustainability targets, currently spending just 0.43 percent of their GDP on research and development—less than half the global average. With only five years left to meet key conservation goals, a new study by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Johannesburg urges African policymakers to strengthen collaboration with biodiversity experts.
Schomacher drew attention to the pivotal role of the upcoming COP17 summit, to be hosted by Armenia in 2026, as a “global stocktaking moment” to assess progress halfway through the eight-year timeline for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022.
“Every single target in our framework is ocean-related,” she said. “From coastal habitats to deep-sea ecosystems, the ocean is the heartbeat of biodiversity—and it must be protected as such.”
The Yerevan COP, Schomacher added, will also serve to reinforce linkages with the new High Seas Treaty, formally known as the BBNJ agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), which many see as a game-changing tool to protect vast, under-governed marine areas.
“CBD processes can kickstart BBNJ implementation,” she explained. “We’re talking about identifying ecologically significant areas, harmonizing spatial planning, and aligning national biodiversity strategies with climate and ocean action. The pieces are there—we just need to connect them.”
Funding Gaps and Harmful Subsidies
But ambition alone won’t be enough, speakers warned. The persistent lack of financial resources—especially for civil society, Indigenous groups, and developing countries—is threatening to unravel hard-won gains.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Robert Abhisohromonyan, was rather emphatic in his assertions: “Military expenditures reached USD 2.7 trillion last year. That’s a 9.4 percent increase—and money that could have gone toward the Sustainable Development Goals, climate resilience, or biodiversity protection.”
He also called for an inclusive COP17 that “puts transparency and participation at the center,” with Indigenous peoples, youth, and local communities having a seat at the decision-making table.
Echoing this, Schomacher warned that harmful subsidies—those that damage ecosystems or encourage overexploitation of natural resources—also account for USD 2.7 trillion annually, a figure matching global defense spending.
“This is why, under the global biodiversity framework, parties committed to identifying and eliminating USD 500 billion in harmful subsidies by 2030,” she said. “If we succeed, we not only close the funding gap—we make real gains for nature.”
Private Sector: From Philanthropy to Investment
In a candid exchange with journalists, speakers also grappled with how to better engage the private sector.
“We have to move beyond viewing biodiversity as a philanthropic cause,” Schomacher said. “Nature-based solutions are investable. But the knowledge and confidence to invest in biodiversity are still low compared to renewable energy or infrastructure.”
She cited the Cardi Fund, a new financing mechanism supporting fair benefit-sharing from digital genetic resources, as one example of innovation. The fund seeks contributions from companies using DNA sequence data to build commercial products—reversing the traditional imbalance between biotech profits and Indigenous stewardship.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s a start,” she noted.
Ocean at the Center of Solutions
For Armenia, a landlocked country, hosting COP17 may seem an unlikely choice. Yet Abhisohromonyan made clear that Armenia sees the ocean as central to its environmental agenda.
“We are proof that ocean conservation is not the sole responsibility of coastal states,” he said. “By protecting inland ecosystems and water sources, we support the health of rivers that feed into the seas. It’s all connected.”
Armenia has signed the BBNJ agreement and is developing its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to reflect integrated ecosystem management.
But globally, uptake remains sluggish. Of 196 parties to the CBD, only 52 have submitted revised NBSAPs, with just 132 countries submitting national targets so far. Officials say this inertia could jeopardize the global review scheduled for Yerevan.
“We are urging all parties to submit their updated plans and reports by February 2026,” Abhisohromonyan said. “The clock is ticking, and our window for course correction is narrow.”
A Crisis—But Also a Chance
Wrapping up the discussion, Schomacher reflected on the legacy of previous ocean conferences and the urgency of acting on momentum now.
“UN Ocean Conference Two in Portugal gave us the energy to adopt the global biodiversity framework. UNOC3 must now galvanize the political will to implement it,” she said.
“We’re at a crisis point. But if we treat this as an opportunity—not just to protect what remains, but to restore what we’ve lost—we may just chart a new course for our ocean and for all life on Earth.”
As global leaders head into the final plenary, where a political declaration is expected to be adopted, conservationists are watching closely—hoping that the pledges made this week will translate into lasting action for the planet’s blue heart.
Water floods in, showing how nature and people are at risk. Trees can’t grow because of salt, leaving no protection. This photo warns about climate change’s effect on the islands and atolls. Credit: Gitty Keziah Yee/Tuvalu
NICE, Jun 12 2025 (IPS) – Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo, describes himself as an optimist—despite the existential crisis his atoll nation faces with climate change-induced sea level rise and frustration with existing international financial mechanisms to fund adaptation and mitigation.
The 3rd UN Ocean Conference was a success, he told a press conference today, June 12. At the beginning of the week, he ratified an agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and was also now party to the FAO’s international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA).
These agreements were crucial.
“The ocean is everything to us—a source of protein, income, and fisheries. It represents 40 percent of the domestic budget. It plays a vital role,” Teo said. But it is a double-edged sword because it also represents the greatest threat because of climate change-induced sea level rise, which for the atoll nation means that more than 50 percent of the country will be regularly inundated by tidal surges by 2050.
So, he needs to contemplate services for the needs of his people in a region where there is no scenario of moving to higher ground—because there isn’t any.
Tuvalu is “totally flat.”
Teo said USD 40-million had been spent on the country’s flagship Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, known as TK of which phase one was completed.
But behind the small success was a clear sense of frustration.
“The coastal adaptation projects will continue into the future,” Teo said. “But it is a very expensive exercise.
Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, addresses the media at UNOC3. Credit: SPC
He made a quiet plea to development partners and financing mechanisms to be responsive.
“I’ve always urged or requested our development partners and our international financing mechanisms to be able to be more forthcoming in terms of providing the necessary climate financing that we need for us to be able to adapt and give us more time to continue to live in the land that we believe God has given us,” Teo said.
But he later admitted that the frustration with the Loss and Damage Fund and other climate financing mechanisms meant that applications could take as many as eight years to complete. This led to his Pacific partners establishing the Pacific Resilience Facility that would allow the Pacific to invest in small, grant-based but high-impact projects to make communities disaster-ready.
Teo said the UNOC3 had given them an opportunity to articulate their concerns, and he hoped that the states participating in the conference had listened to them.
“We don’t have that influence—except to continue to tell our story.”
The Pacific French Summit was a particular highlight and he believed that French President Emmanuel Macron had the region at heart.
Panelists engaged in a discussion with reporters about plastic pollution. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS) – As the sun peeked through the French Riviera clouds and a dozen reporters sipped orange juice aboard the WWF Panda Boat docked at Port Lympia, Frankie Orona, a Native American rights advocate from the Society of Native Nations in San Antonio, Texas, stunned the room into a moment of absolute stillness.
“Imagine a baby in the womb, completely reliant on its mother for air, water, and nutrients—and yet, plastic chemicals are already finding their way into that sacred space,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. “That baby has no choice. And neither do future generations if we don’t act now.”
Orona’s stark imagery marked a powerful appeal to the high-level delegation at the UN Ocean Conference on June 10 in Nice, where ministers and representatives from 95 countries backed The Nice Wake-Up Call—a collective demand for an ambitious, legally binding U.N. plastics treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic pollution.
For Orona, the issue is deeply personal and spiritual. “In our culture, the womb is the beginning of the circle of life. Polluting it with plastics is like violating a sacred trust,” he said.
A Crisis in the Making
Plastics are now everywhere—in our oceans, our food, and even our bodies. In 2019 alone, an estimated 28 million metric tons of plastic ended up in the environment—equivalent to dumping the weight of the Titanic into nature every day. Without aggressive intervention, that figure could nearly double by 2040.
For Orona, who doubles as UNEP co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group, the negotiations unfolding ahead of the August talks in Geneva are a fight for survival.
Speaking to reporters aboard the WWF Panda, Orona, a descendant of the Tonkawa and Apache tribes, did not mince words. “For Indigenous peoples and frontline communities, plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue—it is a human rights crisis that has been going on for generations,” he said.
With the Mediterranean breeze brushing across the harbor, Orona’s voice cut through the chatter of press briefings and policy handouts. “Our communities live near the extraction sites, the refineries, the chemical plants, the incinerators, and the waste dumps. We are the first to feel the impacts—in our lungs, our water, our food, and our children’s health. And too often, we are the last to be consulted.”
The declaration known as The Nice Wake-Up Call, endorsed by 95 countries at the conference, was a welcome shift in tone for many in the Indigenous rights movement. “It sends a strong signal that many governments are now recognizing what we’ve been saying for decades—that ending plastic pollution means addressing the full life cycle of plastics: from extraction to production to disposal,” Orona said.
From Environmental Damage to Systemic Injustice
Orona, who also represents the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics and is part of the Plastics Environment Justice Delegation, emphasized that plastic pollution must be understood in the context of historical and ongoing systems of exploitation.
“This is a continuation of environmental racism and systemic injustices. The human rights violations and violence that have been normalized in our communities for generations must stop,” he said.
Citing the disproportionate exposure of Indigenous populations to toxic chemicals used in plastics—some linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption—he called for a global ban on these additives. “Many of these chemicals are dumped, burned, and leached into our waters, into our sacred lands,” Orona said. “We cannot talk about justice if these harms continue.”
A Just Transition Rooted in Indigenous Knowledge
While many governments are pushing for ambitious production caps and bans on single-use plastics, Orona warned that these measures must not shift the burden onto those least responsible for the crisis.
“A just transition means phasing out fossil fuel-based plastics while investing in community-led solutions, including Indigenous knowledge and science,” he said. “This isn’t just about cleaning up trash; it’s about restoring balance and protecting future generations.”
In a system long dominated by fossil fuel interests and extractive economies, Indigenous communities have often led the way in conservation and sustainable living. “Our knowledge systems are not just cultural—they are scientific. They are proven. And they are part of the solution,” Orona noted.
Follow the Money—and Ensure It Reaches the Frontlines
Orona’s final message was financial. Any treaty, he insisted, must include a mechanism that guarantees direct access to funds for Indigenous and frontline communities.
“Too often, we are shut out of global financing streams—even when we are the ones on the front lines, creating the very solutions the world needs,” he said. “That must end.”
While images of floating plastic bottles and entangled turtles often dominate headlines, experts at the Nice panel were adamant: the crisis begins long before a straw hits the ocean.
Disproportionate Impacts
Plastic production facilities are often located in marginalized communities—adding a layer of environmental injustice to the crisis.
“Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and minority populations suffer the worst impacts,” said Orona. “We’re talking about asthma, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases—especially in children. These are not abstract consequences; these are lived experiences.”
Reporters on the Panda Boat scribbled notes between bites of Mediterranean pastries, visibly moved by Orona’s personal account.
“This is genocide by pollution,” he added. “Our people are dying, and it’s largely invisible to the rest of the world.”
Wildlife at Risk
The panel also underscored the devastating effects of plastic on marine life. Every species of sea turtle has been documented ingesting or getting entangled in plastic. For blue whales, the planet’s largest animals, the reality is even more daunting—they are believed to ingest up to 10 million pieces of microplastic every day, sometimes weighing as much as 44 kilograms.
The next round of negotiations for the plastics treaty is scheduled for August in Geneva, where pressure is mounting to solidify a legally binding agreement that includes all five critical points outlined in the Nice declaration.
The sense of urgency also echoes in the corridors of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U.N. agency overseeing the global shipping industry. Tasked with ensuring environmental safety on the high seas, the IMO has stepped up efforts to address plastic waste, among other pressing marine threats.
In response to a question about the devastating 2021 marine spill in Sri Lanka—where a burning cargo vessel released over 1,680 metric tons of plastic pellets into the Indian Ocean—IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez noted that the agency has been developing new regulations specifically targeting the handling, packaging, and cleanup of plastic pellets. These measures, initially adopted by the European Union, mark a significant step in tightening maritime controls on plastic pollution.
Dominguez stressed that tackling marine pollution also demands inclusive governance. The IMO is increasingly encouraging the participation of Indigenous communities and young people—groups historically sidelined from international maritime decision-making. Their voices, he said, are crucial for shaping policies that are both just and effective.
Next Steps
Professor Bethany Carney Almroth—a renowned environmental toxicologist and one of the leading scientific voices in the negotiations—believes the business world is not the obstacle many assume it to be. Instead, she says, it’s a matter of giving business the legal clarity to act.
“Business follows the rule of law,” she said. “The situation we have today is a mix—some laws are written, others are absent. That’s the problem. If we create new regulations, then it’s no longer a question of whether businesses are voluntarily doing enough. It becomes a question of compliance.”
Carney Almroth, who has worked extensively on the science-policy interface for chemicals and plastics, said that a strong, enforceable treaty is essential to shift the status quo.
“The status quo is broken,” she said plainly. “We need to change the framework so regulations guide businesses to do the best thing possible—for the economy, for the environment, and for people.”
As one of the few experts who has consistently called for systemic reform in how plastics are managed, Carney Almroth said that relying on voluntary industry movements is simply not enough.
“We’ve seen global treaties deliver meaningful results before,” she said. “The Montreal Protocol worked. It changed how we handled chlorofluorocarbons, and it protected the ozone layer. People may not even realize how much their lives have improved because of those decisions—but they have.”
The Hidden Cost of Profit
Responding to a question about the profitability of the plastics industry—especially in countries where it contributes significantly to government revenues—Carney Almroth offered a sobering perspective.
“When we say plastics are profitable, that’s only because we’re not accounting for the real costs,” she said. “Those costs aren’t paid by the companies producing plastics. They’re paid by nature, and they’re paid by people.”
She cited staggering health implications, pointing out that plastics contain thousands of chemicals—many of which are toxic, carcinogenic, or endocrine-disrupting. “The human healthcare costs associated with exposure to these chemicals are astronomical—running into billions of dollars each year. But they’re not included in the price tag of plastic production.”
Building Standards that Protect People and the Planet
So what does it take to eliminate hazardous plastics from global markets?
According to Carney Almroth, we’re still missing a critical piece: effective, fit-for-purpose international standards.
“Right now, most of the existing standards—developed by organizations like ISO or OECD—are geared toward material quality or industrial use. They were never designed to protect human health or the environment,” she explained. “We need new standards. Ones that are developed by independent experts and shielded from vested interests.”
For such standards to be truly effective, she said, they must be holistic and interdisciplinary. “We need to move away from just focusing on economic sustainability. That’s what we’ve done in the past—and it’s failed us. Environmental and social sustainability must be given equal weight.”
As the panel wrapped up, Orona gazed over the Port Lympia waters.
“We have a choice right now,” he said. “To continue poisoning the womb of the Earth—or to become caretakers, protectors.”
And as the reporters descended the gangway of the Panda Boat, the symbolism was not lost: we’re all adrift in this ocean of plastic. Whether we sink or swim depends on what happens next.
Yachts dock in Port Lympia, Nice, where the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference is underway. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS
NICE, France, Jun 10 2025 (IPS) – The late afternoon sun sparkles on the waters of the French Riviera as yachts dock at the Port of Nice with mechanical grace. A tram glides past palm-lined boulevards, where joggers, drenched in sweat, huff past leisurely strollers and sunbathers. Just beside the promenade, a crowd gathers around a young girl. With braided hair bouncing in rhythm, she belts out Beyoncé’s Halo with stunning precision. Her bare feet dance on the cobblestones, her voice echoing against the pastel façades.
Tourists smile and drop coins into her hat. She grins, curtsies, and begins again. Her melody, effortless yet soulful, is a momentary respite from the conference halls just a few blocks away, where global leaders in gleaming designer suits dart to and from the United Nations Ocean Conference—a stone throw away.
Among those representing Africa is Tanzanian Vice-President Philip Mpango, who reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the sustainable conservation of oceans and marine resources, citing national efforts to combat pollution, overfishing, and the common affliction of climate.
“We must take action to protect our oceans and marine ecosystems. The challenges are enormous, but there is always hope for when we build resilience against the harsh impacts of climate change that threaten our coastal communities,” Mpango said in a statement aired back home on national television, TBC.
But as policymakers speak of high-level goals, thousands of kilometers away on the sun-scorched coast of Zanzibar, 43-year-old Amina Ali squats barefoot in the muddy shallows of the Indian Ocean. Her weathered hands move through the water with practiced familiarity, adjusting the polyethylene ropes that hold her seaweed crops.
“I used to earn enough to send my children to school and buy food,” she tells IPS by WhatsApp call, her voice tinged with quiet desperation. “Now, the weather is so unpredictable, and the sea is eating our farms. Some days, I come home empty-handed.”
Amina is among the thousands of women in the Zanzibar archipelago who depend on seaweed farming for survival. Once hailed as a booming green economy venture, seaweed production is now threatened by rising sea temperatures, shifting tides, and erosion—climate change-fueled adversities that have turned once-thriving beaches into battlegrounds.
Back in Nice, as the world gathers to chart a course for ocean health, Dr. Immaculate Semesi, Director General of Tanzania’s National Environmental Management Council (NEMC), underscores the stakes. “Our oceans are our economic lifeline for thousands of our people; we must protect them at any cost,” she tells IPS on the sidelines of the conference.
Tanzania’s ocean territory spans more than 64,000 square kilometers, rich in biodiversity and crucial for food, transport, and employment. Yet, this “blue economy,” as experts call it, remains heavily underutilized and at risk due to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, marine pollution, and poor regulation.
IUU fishing, often conducted by foreign-flagged vessels, has long plagued Tanzanian waters. Fishermen employ destructive techniques—blast fishing and banned nets—that decimate marine habitats and undermine lawful fishing operations.
“We’ve made huge progress—blast fishing has been reduced by 80 percent through community vigilance and stricter law enforcement,” says Dr. Flower Msuya, a marine biologist at the University of Dar es Salaam, in an interview with IPS in Nice. “But we still face serious challenges. Seaweed farmers are suffering. Corals are bleaching. Fisheries are dwindling. Climate change is accelerating it all.”
In recent years, Tanzania has stepped up efforts to curb environmental degradation. It has banned single-use plastic bags, ratified international marine protection conventions, and adopted policies like the National Blue Economy Policy (2024) and the National Action Plan (2024/2025–2025/2026). These frameworks aim to integrate environmental sustainability with economic development across sectors—fisheries, tourism, transport, and renewable energy.
Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous archipelago, has become a model in this regard. Under President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the region has elevated the Blue Economy to a national development priority. Seaweed farming has rebounded, recording over 16,000 tons in 2023, nearly double that of 2020. Fish production reached 80,000 tons last year, thanks to government support including boats, loans, training, and a dedicated Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries.
Tourism has flourished as well. In 2023, Zanzibar welcomed more than 638,000 international tourists, surpassing pre-pandemic highs. The number of hotels and guesthouses rose to 709, including new eco-friendly lodges that promote marine conservation.
“The Zanzibar model shows us that sustainability and economic growth can go hand in hand,” says Dr. Msuya. “But we need more investment, more climate adaptation technologies, and policies that reach grassroots communities—especially women like Amina.”
Still, gaps remain. Many seaweed farmers struggle to access modern farming tools, credit, or markets. Amina’s coastal village, once lined with seaweed drying racks, is now dotted with abandoned plots.
“We are not asking for charity,” Amina says. “We just want support to adapt. The sea has always fed us and we will always depend on it.”
At the United Nations Ocean conference, Mpango acknowledged these vulnerabilities. He stressed the need for global cooperation and regional partnerships to enhance ocean governance and marine security. His call for action resonated with delegates from across the Global South, many of whom face similar crises.
Tanzania’s latest marine action plans aim to increase surveillance, foster community engagement, and harness scientific research. These include more patrols to combat IUU fishing, tighter enforcement of fishing licenses, and partnerships with universities to monitor marine ecosystems.
Yet, the pace of change is often slower than the rising tides.
As the sun dips into the Mediterranean in Nice, casting a golden glow on the port where that young girl sings Beyoncé with raw emotion, her voice seems to echo the silent struggles of women like Amina—unheard yet vital.
The ocean, vast and mysterious, connects them.
From the gilded shores of France to the salt-sprayed coasts of Tanzania, the fate of the sea is tied to every song sung, every rope tied, and every promise made.
And as leaders pack up their speeches and fly home, the real work begins—not in marble halls, but in muddy waters where the ocean meets life.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Credit: Naureen Hossain
NICE, France, Jun 10 2025 (IPS) – “When we poison the ocean, we poison ourselves,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters on the second day of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
“There’s a tipping point approaching—beyond which recovery may become impossible. And let us be clear: Powerful interests are pushing us towards that brink. We are facing a hard battle against a clear enemy. Its name is greed.”
Guterres made the comments in a press briefing where he relayed his priorities for the conference and the need for urgent action toward ocean conservation and sustainability.
He remarked on the “clear link” between climate change, biodiversity, and marine protection, and that without timely and effective intervention, both the ocean and humanity would be irreversibly impacted.
Guterres called for increased “financial and technological support” to developing countries, including coastal communities and small-island nations, so that they are in a position to protect themselves from extreme weather and natural disasters.
As overfishing threatens marine biodiversity, countries must work together to enforce stronger measures against illegal fishing and expand protected areas in order to safeguard marine life. To that end, Guterres called for countries to deliver on the target to conserve at least 30 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
Scientists have said that the 1.5 degree threshold to mitigate the worst of global warming is still achievable. Yet as Guterres pointed out, they have been “unanimous” in saying that the international community is “on the brink of the tipping point that might make it impossible.” As the ocean absorbs carbon emissions, this has contributed to the imbalances in its biodiversity, such as extremely high temperatures and coral reef bleaching.
There is not “enough urgency, enough spirit” towards an energy transition to renewable sources. Guterres urged countries to formulate and present Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for COP30 in Brazil. These NDCs or climate action plans should be “fully compatible” with the 1.5 degree threshold and that will work towards “dramatic reductions” in emissions by 2035. “We must accelerate our transition, and this is for me the most important objective of the next COP.”
Guterres noted positively the significant turnout from governments, civil society, business leaders, Indigenous groups, and the science community for this year’s Ocean Conference. This is a clear show of “momentum and enthusiasm” on the issue of ocean conservation and sustainability. He added that in the two years since the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) was first adopted in 2023, 134 countries have signed it and 50 have ratified it, including 15 new signatories and ratifications since the start of the conference. The BBNJ may soon come into effect once it has received 60 ratifications or acceptances.
The spirit of solidarity that has brought groups from all corners of the world to participate in UNOC must be carried right to its end and beyond. “I urge everyone to step forward with decisive commitments and tangible funding. The ocean has given us so much. It is time we returned the favor. Our health, our climate, and our future depend on it,” Guterres said.
