By\u00a0Kizito Makoye<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (IPS)\u00a0<\/strong>– As delegates prepare for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, momentum is building around ocean governance, finance for marine conservation, and an urgent shift toward a regenerative blue economy. Ocean advocates say the world is at a critical juncture\u2014and the next few weeks could shape the future of marine protection for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOceans sustain all life on Earth,\u201d said Rita El Zaghloul, Senior Programme Manager at the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. \u201cProtecting our ocean is fundamental for our food security, our cultural heritage, and our economies and livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n El Zaghloul cited new data from the OECD showing that the ocean economy, if treated as a single country, would have ranked as the world\u2019s fifth-largest economy in 2019. It provides food for 3.2 billion people and contributes $2.6 trillion to global GDP each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite this, only 8.4 percent of the ocean is currently under formal protection. Advocates say that figure must rise to at least 30% by 2030\u2014a goal enshrined in the Global Biodiversity Framework and reaffirmed by the 2023 High Seas Treaty, also known as the BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) Treaty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet us not forget that discussions on this treaty started eight years ago,\u201d El Zaghloul said. \u201cTo enter into force, we need at least 60 ratifications. So far, we have only 21. UNOC represents a key milestone to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Pledges to Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Activists and policymakers alike are calling for a clear shift from pledges to implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are only five years away from 2030,\u201d warned El Zaghloul. \u201cWe must move beyond rhetoric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples of effective action are emerging across the globe. El Zaghloul highlighted several: the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor\u2014a collaborative effort between Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama\u2014has connected five marine protected areas to strengthen ecosystem management. The Marshall Islands has designated a marine area larger than Switzerland as a no-fishing zone. And in 2024, Australia expanded a marine reserve to cover over 52 percent of its national waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese examples show that progress is possible\u2014regardless of income level,\u201d El Zaghloul said. \u201cBut of course, much more is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Financing the Ocean\u2019s Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One major hurdle remains: funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really need to make sure that finance is directly reaching the coastal communities that are working to safeguard our oceans,\u201d said El Zaghloul. \u201cFrom the HAC perspective, we\u2019ve launched a rapid deployment mechanism offering small grants between USD 25,000 and USD 50,000 as seed funding. But of course, that\u2019s only a start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristin Rechberger, CEO of Dynamic Planet and co-organizer of Monaco\u2019s Blue Economy Finance Forum (BEFF), echoed the need to rethink the role of private finance in ocean conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor too long, extraction and pollution have been the business model, with little investment in protection or regeneration,\u201d Rechberger said. \u201cWe need to create a new regenerative ocean economy that puts conservation at its heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rechberger said a new study shows that to achieve the 30\u00d730 goal, 190,000 small marine protected areas must be established within the next five years\u2014just within territorial waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat requires smart programming, investment products, and scalable initiatives that restore marine life and generate returns,\u201d she said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just an environmental issue\u2014it\u2019s an economic opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rechberger\u2019s initiative, Revive Our Ocean<\/em>, brings together proven partners working to demonstrate that marine protection can lead to coastal prosperity. She also pointed to the upcoming Ocean, Coastal Resilience, and Risk<\/em> conference in Nice\u2014slated to bring mayors and governors into the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome local leaders are already protecting coastlines and reaping the benefits through increased climate resilience and tourism,\u201d she said. \u201cWe hope many more follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n France\u2019s Role and the Path Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n France, the host of the upcoming UNOC, has pledged strong support. The French government, backed by HAC and other organizations, is pushing for new marine protected area announcements at the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re working to move from 8.4% to something closer to 30%,\u201d said El Zaghloul. \u201cBut it\u2019s not just about expanding coverage\u2014we need to make sure these areas are effectively managed, inclusive, and resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n El Zaghloul concluded with a call for unity: \u201cWe must ensure ministers and technical experts are aligned to push for more ambition. We need to quadruple ocean protection\u2014and do so inclusively and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Filimon Manoni, the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, has underscored the region\u2019s unwavering commitment to ocean governance and climate resilience. Despite being home to small island nations, the Pacific has long been a global leader in marine protection, from advancing Sustainable Development Goal 14 to spearheading community-led marine conservation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe take this opportunity very seriously,\u201d Manoni said, emphasizing that the conference provides a rare platform for Pacific nations to voice their ocean-climate concerns, which are often sidelined at global climate talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the heart of the Pacific\u2019s agenda is the urgent call for the ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a crucial step toward ending lawlessness in the high seas. Manoni warned that ongoing inaction could jeopardize years of marine conservation within national waters. He also called for a binding global plastics treaty and a reevaluation of global trade systems that continue to fuel ocean pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe, the small island developing states, continue to carry the burden of plastic waste,\u201d he said, pointing to the need for systemic changes in international commerce to curb marine degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UNOC in Nice promises to be a pivotal moment. Whether it succeeds will depend not only on bold declarations but on the tangible steps taken afterward. For the world\u2019s oceans\u2014and the billions who depend on them\u2014the stakes could not be higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n INPS Japan\/ IPS UN Bureau Report<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By\u00a0Kizito Makoye DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (IPS)\u00a0– As delegates prepare for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, momentum is building around ocean governance, finance for marine conservation, and an urgent shift toward a regenerative blue economy. Ocean advocates say the world is at a critical juncture\u2014and the next few weeks could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,54,32,3,22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8824","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-global-regions","8":"category-goal14","9":"category-regions","10":"category-sdgs-2","11":"category-un-civil-society"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8824"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8826,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8824\/revisions\/8826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}