3rd UN Ocean Conference kicks off in France

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) – The third edition of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) began on Monday in Nice, a French city on the Mediterranean coast, with the aim of bringing together all UN member states, specialized agencies, civil society, the private sector, and global donors.

The five-day conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, will conclude on Friday and will be attended by delegations from many countries as well as representatives from international organizations and agencies.

"Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, UNOC3 aims to bring together all United Nations Member States, specialized agencies, civil society, the private sector, and international donors," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to the UN, the third conference aims to inspire transformative action and provide solutions for the ocean, with support from ocean science and funding for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14—Life Below Water.

In a plenary session, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the ocean is so much more than just an inspiration, adding: "It is life. It feeds us, cools us, and connects us to the world."

She said the international community has taken many important steps to protect the ocean but warned that the ocean is "still in crisis," and "without action, we risk our future."

"...by working together, we can make it happen to have a good future for the ocean. It is in our hands," added von der Leyen.

European Council President Antonio Costa, for his part, referred to the ocean as "the blue heart of our planet," stressing its importance in combating climate change and bringing people from different continents together to share a common heritage of humanity.

He noted that the triple global crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss is increasingly acute.

"Now is not the time for diagnosis. It is time to act, and the European Union is taking action," said Costa.