The co-facilitators of civil society engagement in the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) have published the outcomes of the civil society consultation conducted in preparation for the Conference. Many stakeholders emphasize the importance of strengthening synergies with other global frameworks and targets, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.

In May 2023, the Co-Chairs of UNOC3 – France and Costa Rica – invited civil society organizations (CSOs) to respond to “a call to all the voices of the ocean” by participating in a survey to identify priority topics and expected outcomes. Analysis of responses from 125 CSOs spanning the areas of fisheries, education, science, and marine conservation reveals several “clear and common” messages.

On UNOC3 organization, CSOs call for the inclusion and representation of a wider part of civil society, including scientists, women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. They also recommend improving communication with the general public and the media, as well as among attendees.

In addition to strengthening synergies with other frameworks and targets, CSOs prioritize, among other topics, addressing sustainable fisheries, pollution, and marine protected areas (MPAs), as well as finance, the deep sea, and the high seas.

In terms of expectations, CSOs stress that UNOC3 must assess progress on commitments made at previous UN Ocean Conferences with a view to monitoring the outcomes of future editions. Many call for: a revised roadmap, rooted in the values of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability, to help maximize efforts in the years remaining before the 2030 deadline; and immediate measures and concrete actions by all ocean stakeholders to safeguard the health of our ocean and the communities that rely on it.

Other expected outcomes include: a moratorium or a ban on deep-sea mining; the high seas treaty’s entry into force in 2025; implementation of an ambitious and legally-binding plastic treaty; inclusion of the ocean in countries’ national strategies for biodiversity and climate; and a call by UNOC3 for the protection of the Southern Ocean.

Among additional opportunities identified by CSOs are new MPA announcements and the establishment of a new financial institution dedicated to investments in the ocean. Going forward, CSOs recommend that UNOC3 strengthen collaboration and collective action to “turn the tide towards an ambitious, strong and effective protection of the ocean and its ecosystems.”

Rémi Parmentier, Co-Founder, The Varda Group, and Loreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean & Climate Platform, co-facilitate civil society engagement in UNOC3. As possible additional fora at UNOC3, they suggest an action panel on small-scale fisheries and a dialogue among governments and stakeholders “to dive into more disruptive and bold proposals to safeguard our Blue Planet.”

The co-facilitators also identify possible political campaigns ahead of UNOC3 targeting ocean-based measures on climate change mitigation and adaptation, MPAs, and coastal cities and sea level rise.

The outcomes of the consultation were published with support from the TBA21 Academy, the Fondation de France, and the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. [Publication: A Call to All the Voices of the Ocean: Consultation of Civil Society in Preparation of the Next United Nations Ocean Conference: Synthesis Report] [Executive Summary]