World Leaders To Chart Rescue Plan For Oceans At UNOC 3

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), scheduled for June 9–13 in Nice, France, will bring together over 50 heads of state, scientists, civil society, and business leaders to confront what UN officials are calling a “state of emergency” for the planet’s oceans.

“The ocean is suffocating,” said Li Junhua, UN DESA chief and Secretary-General of the summit, citing escalating threats from rising temperatures, acidification, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and predatory fishing. “Our planet’s life support system is in crisis—but we can still change course.” Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the summit will include 10 plenary meetings, thematic roundtables, and a series of parallel events. France hopes to use the conference to launch a landmark “Nice Action Plan for the Ocean,” modeled after the 2015 Paris Climate Agree-ment.

“This is an ecological emergency,” said Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s Permanent Representa-tive to the UN. “We need a pro-ocean agreement that matches the ambition of the Paris Accord.”