The co-facilitators of the intergovernmental consultations have published a zero draft of the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) declaration. The first informal consultation on the text will take place on 27 January 2025.

It its resolution of 18 December 2023 (A/RES/78/128), the UN General Assembly (UNGA) decided that the high-level 2025 UN Ocean Conference “shall adopt, by consensus, a brief, concise, action-oriented and intergovernmentally agreed declaration focusing on areas of accelerated and collective action” to support the implementation of SDG 14 (life below water). By the same resolution, the intergovernmental consultations on the declaration are to be concluded by 1 May 2025.

Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo and Permanent Representative of Australia James Martin Larsen circulated the zero draft in a letter dated 13 December 2024. In that letter, the co-facilitators express gratitude for “the very constructive and detailed input” from groups of states, individual delegations, and other stakeholders provided at the preparatory meeting held on 2 July 2024, on which they have based the zero draft. They also thank the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) for convening a multistakeholder consultation process, from 18-29 November 2024, to invite contributions for the declaration.

Member States and observers heard the presentation of the text and provided general comments on 17 January 2025.

Committed to an open, inclusive, and transparent process, the co-facilitators seek Member States’ support and active and constructive engagement along the negotiation timeline attached to the letter. Following the first round of informal consultations on 27 January, the co-facilitators will circulate a revised draft (Rev1) on 30 January. This will be followed by:

• The second round of informal consultations on 10 February, with a Rev2 text released on 13 February;
• The third round of informal consultations on 24 February, with a Rev3 text released on 27 February; and
• The fourth round of informal consultations on 10 March, with the final text placed under the silence procedure from 17-19 March.

The five-page zero draft is titled, ‘Our Ocean, Our Future: Accelerating Action.’ It includes sections on defending ocean ecosystems, sustainable ocean economies, and accelerating action. [UNGA President’s Letter to Member States and Observers of 13 December 2024] [2025 UN Ocean Conference]