Turning the Tide to Protect our Oceans 

From 9th to 13th of June, delegates of the 193 UN Member States, international organizations, and representatives of civil society gathered in Nice, France, for the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) — co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica. The conference goal: coming up with an ambitious Nice Ocean Action Plan, a declaration of voluntary commitments to restore and protect the ocean, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).

With the global ocean crisis at a tipping point, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles issued a powerful call for urgent collective action to safeguard ocean health. 

The following key topics were addressed to safeguard our oceans for present and future generations:

• Marine Biodiversity Treaty: Encouraging ratification of the 2023 treaty covering two-thirds of the ocean, essential for ocean health and SDG 14. 
• Sustainable Fisheries: Tackling illegal fishing while promoting science-backed, community-driven fish stock recovery.
• Marine Protected Areas: Advancing the 30x30 goal to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
• Decarbonizing Maritime Transport: Pushing for low- and zero-emission fuels and electrified port infrastructure.
• Plastic Pollution: Renewing global commitment, with key negotiations resuming in August 2025.
• Financing: Mobilizing new funding sources for ocean resilience and sustainable economies.
• Science & Governance: Strengthening evidence-based policies, cutting-edge research, and Indigenous knowledge for better ocean governance.

A critical gap to ocean sustainability remains financing. Sanda Ojiambo, UN Global Compact CEO and Assistant Secretary-General, emphasized the urgent need to scale up capital markets for ocean sustainability:

> The sustainable blue economy receives less than 1% of all philanthropic climate founding

> Only 0.01% of global capital market investments go toward ocean sustainability

To bridge this blue finance gap and accelerate ocean action, the UN Global Compact launched two game-changing initiatives:

The Ocean Investment Protocol

A practical guide to help investors tap into the sustainable ocean economy, which is projected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2050. The Protocol has been developed in partnership with the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and is openly accessible here: 

https://unglobalcompact.org/library/6291  

The UN Ocean Centres

An initiative developed with the Lloyd’s Register Foundation to support safer, more sustainable ocean economies across seven UN countries. Rather than physical offices, the Ocean Centres operate as national networks led by local experts. 

Find out more about the Ocean Centres here: https://www.oceancentres.com/

Dutch companies, including Fugro, contributed to the conference by empowering marine conservation technologies, coastal resilience, and sustainable ocean solutions, demonstrating the critical role of public-private partnerships in advancing ocean sustainability.

Together, we can turn the tide.