“Our Oceans Are Burning”: Macron Leads Urgent Call at UN Ocean Summit

By Thuku Kariuki - ‘Our Oceans Are Burning,’ Declares France’s President, Urging Revitalized Action at UN Ocean Conference in Nice

“Our oceans are burning,” declared Emmanuel Macron, President of France, in a stark call to action as the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) opened on June 8 on the Mediterranean shores of Nice.

Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the high-level gathering running through June 13 brings together governments, scientists, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and private sector leaders under the theme: “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”

With the ocean covering more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface and playing a vital role in producing oxygen, sustaining billions of people, and driving global trade, the stakes for urgent, collective action have never been higher.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres opened the conference with a hopeful yet urgent message. “What was lost in a generation can return in a generation,” he said, envisioning an ocean “teeming with life and diversity” as a legacy for the future, not just a legend of the past.

A bathyscaphe on display in the Blue zone area at UNOC3 in Nice, France. Photo by Pauline

Yet, the ocean, he warned, is under siege from overfishing, illegal and unregulated practices, plastic pollution, and climate-driven threats such as acidification and sea-level rise.

Guterres called for the swift ratification of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. He also urged finalization of a global treaty to curb plastic pollution by year’s end, and increased funding for Sustainable Development Goal 14 one of the least-funded SDGs.

“We live in an age of turmoil,” he said. “But the resolve I see here gives me hope. We must shift from plunder to protection, from exploitation to stewardship.”

President Macron echoed this urgency, noting the participation of more than 120 countries and 100,000 individuals. “The ocean brings us all together,” he said, urging the international community to “revitalize our collective action” to protect it.

He issued a strong warning: “The ocean is not for sale; Greenland is not for sale; the Arctic is not for sale.” Macron framed these regions as global commons that must be defended.

Highlighting the alarming figure of eight million tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, he called for decisive action against pollution and praised efforts to combat illegal fishing a “double looting,” he said, that robs both biodiversity and the resources of the world’s poorest nations. “This is the only way to create transparency and eradicate illegal fisheries,” he added.

Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of Costa Rica and co-president of the conference, reflected on the ocean’s past mistreatment: “We’ve treated the ocean like an infinite pantry or food store… a global waste dump.” He warned that at current rates, plastic could outnumber fish within 25 years.

Citing Costa Rica’s progressive environmental history including the abolition of its army to protect forests he announced a bold new commitment: “We are now declaring peace with the sea.”

Through sustainable ocean policies, Costa Rica aims to prove that balancing environmental conservation with economic development is possible when guided by courage and principle.

A key outcome of the conference will be the Nice Ocean Action Plan, which includes a political declaration and voluntary commitments from various stakeholders. This builds on the momentum of previous UN Ocean Conferences in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022).

Philemon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly, emphasized the need for financing these ambitions, particularly for small developing states that rely heavily on ocean resources.

UNOC3 Secretary-General Li Junhua reported over 2,000 registered commitments so far, expressing hope that these would translate into “2,000 real solutions” to accelerate progress on SDG 14.

Voices from the host region also made a strong impression. Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Council, described protecting the Mediterranean as a moral obligation, advocating for plastic bans and cleaner transport systems.

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, praised attendees as “people of the sea” who refuse to stand idle, expressing hope that the Nice Accords will be as transformative for the oceans as the Paris Agreement was for the climate.

Global leaders added their voices to the call. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed the need for multilateralism to prevent the ocean from becoming a stage for geopolitical conflict, noting Brazil’s efforts to include ocean literacy in its school curriculum.

Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, speaking on behalf of the African Union, called for maritime access for landlocked nations. Palau’s President Surangel S. Whipps highlighted the Pacific Islands’ leadership in marine conservation.

Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid, representing the G-77 and China, underscored the devastating impact of ocean degradation on food security and called for enhanced international cooperation.

As the week continues, more than 150 speakers will contribute to this global dialogue. “The future of our oceans is in our hands,” said Li Junhua. In Nice, the world stands at a crossroads, poised to turn a burning crisis into a legacy of hope and action.