The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has published stakeholder recommendations on key topics of the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3). A total of 921 inputs from 380 stakeholders are summarized in a document titled, ‘Stakeholder Inputs to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Declaration.’
The high-level 2025 UN Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG 14 (life below water) will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, France, from 9-13 June 2025. The Conference will convene under the overarching theme, ‘Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean.’
According to the brochure, the Conference “shall adopt, by consensus, a brief, concise, action oriented and intergovernmentally agreed declaration, which along with a list of voluntary commitments, will be referred to as the ‘Nice Ocean Action Plan.’” Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo and Permanent Representative of Australia James Martin Larsen are co-facilitating the intergovernmental consultations on the UNOC3 declaration.
Upon request from the co-facilitators, DESA collected stakeholder inputs from 18-29 November 2024 that responded to the following question: “Please list up to three key actions that focus on areas of accelerated and collective action to support the implementation of SDG 14 and that could be considered by Member States for inclusion in the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Declaration.”
Stakeholders identified the following key topics and recommendations for the UNOC3 declaration:
- Ocean and marine ecosystem preservation: Preserving and sustainably managing ocean and marine ecosystems.
- Biodiversity conservation: Protecting biodiversity through sustainable practices and targeted initiatives.
- Climate change and pollution: Tackling climate change and reducing pollution, particularly plastic waste.
- Community and stakeholder engagement: All stakeholder groups including youth, women, and children, play a vital role in ocean sustainability leadership practices.
- Coastal and local communities: Listening to communities that are directly involved with oceans, with an emphasis on supporting livelihoods through sustainable fisheries and management practices.
- Marine protected areas (MPAs): Expanding and effectively managing marine protected areas is essential for conserving ecosystems, with an emphasis on the global 30×30 campaign.
- Data sharing and science-driven policies: Leveraging data, fostering scientific cooperation, and promoting knowledge sharing are critical for guiding decision making and policy implementation for SDG 14 implementation.
- Partnerships and capacity building: Strengthening partnerships and enhancing capacity-building efforts are key to advancing sustainable development and protecting the ocean.
Additional recommendations span the areas of: international cooperation and the Blue Economy; resilience building; innovation and restoration; education; financing and governance mechanisms; equity and inclusion; deep-sea issues; and legal and policy frameworks. [Publication: Stakeholder Inputs to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Declaration: Key Topics and Recommendations: December 2024] [2025 UN Ocean Conference] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Stakeholder Inputs to UNOC3 Ocean Action Panels’ Concept Papers]
