United Nations Oceans Conference adopts declaration to tackle the global ocean emergency

After a week of intensive discussions and deliberations, the third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC3), co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, concluded in Nice, France. The conference ended with the adoption of a consensus-based declaration focused on safeguarding the future of the world’s oceans.

"The ocean is essential to life on Earth and to our collective future, and we remain gravely concerned about the global emergency it is facing," stated the official Outcome Document of the Conference.

Speaking at UNOC3 on June 13, Spyros Kouvelis, EU Ocean Mission Board Member and Team Leader of the EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition/ Chairman and Co-Founder of Verimpact, highlighted the valuable dialogue that took place around expanding marine protected areas and ensuring their effective management. “Key conversations and decisions also addressed the fight against plastic pollution and microplastics, the need for enhanced ocean data collection, and the importance of ocean exploration. All of these efforts are crucial for managing our oceans in a more sustainable way,” he told NE Global.