By\u00a0Francine Pickup<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third United Nations Ocean Conference<\/a> (UNOC 3), scheduled to take place in Nice, France from 9-13 June, will bring together Heads of State, scientists, civil society and business leaders around a single goal: to halt the silent collapse of the planet’s largest \u2013 and arguably most vital \u2013 ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEW YORK (IPS)\u00a0<\/strong>– The ocean is far more than a vast expanse of water; it is a cornerstone of life and a critical driver of sustainable development. The intricate relationship between human development and the ocean underscores why ocean governance and sustainability are pivotal to global progress. Its significance becomes particularly evident in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where the ocean is not just a resource but an intrinsic part of identity and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Custodians of some of the world\u2019s largest Exclusive Economic Zones\u2014 SIDS protect vast ocean and coastal areas, home to 20% of all plant, bird and reptile species. Many have designated large parts of their national waters into marine protected areas, positioning themselves as leaders in global conservation. These natural assets form the backbone of their economies in ocean-dependent sectors such as tourism and fisheries. Yet these nations are also on the frontlines of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rising sea levels, increasingly severe weather events, accelerating environmental degradation are not distant threats \u2013 they are today\u2019s reality. And yet, despite this future-smart, holistic approach to their development, these countries are trapped in a vicious cycle of indebtedness, undermining their ability to plan and prepare for climate-induced shocks that will undoubtedly come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Sea of Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SIDS were instrumental in securing the 1.5\u00b0 degrees global warming threshold in the Paris Agreement, a testament to their foresight of the urgency we all will face. They lead the world in implementing bold, integrated solutions that tackle multiple challenges of conserving and sustainably using their ocean and coastal resources, promoting renewable energy, fostering digital<\/a> and local capacity and creating jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fourth International Conference on SIDS (May 2024) and the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS<\/a>) charts a ten-year roadmap to scale climate and biodiversity action, increase conservation and promote sustainable ocean use, with resilience at its core. SIDS make important contributions to implementing global environmental accords including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the Paris Agreement and the UNCCD Strategic Framework, all of which prioritize action to save the ocean and reduce marine and land-based drivers of degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rising Up for SIDS<\/a> \u2013 a forward-looking strategy to outline a transformative vision for the next decade, builds on nearly 60 years of collaboration between UNDP and the SIDS and a partnership with Alliance of Small Island States<\/a> (AOSIS) ensuring that SIDS\u2019 specific needs are met in policy and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the world leaders gather for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice<\/a>, (June 9-13) SIDS will offer innovative and scalable solutions to global environmental and development challenges and show how they are at the forefront of ocean-positive strategies,. It is critical that the world listens. Here are the three key lessons SIDs bring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The Ocean is a Catalyst for Human Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For SIDS, the ocean is not a boundary: it is life itself. Small-scale fisheries provide food and livelihoods for millions. Marine and coastal tourism drives much of their GDP. Blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes, sequester carbon, buffer coastlines, and host diverse species. The ocean\u2019s vast genetic and biological wealth offers untapped potential for future medicines, sustainable industries, and climate adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In SIDS, ocean action is inseparable from economic development. Escalating environmental threats aggravate economic insecurities. Harnessing the ocean economy enables sustainable growth and diversification for food security, tourism, trade and climate resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But SIDS cannot do it alone. Global partnerships and international finance are essential to support SIDS unlock the full potential of their marine resources, ensuring inclusive, equitable development that leaves no one behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Integrated Solutions are needed to address Interconnected Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sea level rise, ecosystem degradation and economic vulnerability are not separate problems. Neither are their solutions. In SIDS, efforts to restore and protect coastal ecosystems also support sustainable tourism and sustainable fishing. Expanding opportunities drive human development, bringing jobs and economic prosperity within planetary boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Whole of island\u2019 approaches offer a powerful model for sustainable development. These strategies align decarbonization with community empowerment, protect biodiversity while expanding opportunity and security, and build on traditional and local knowledge as a foundation for innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SIDS are showing the wider world how to cope and solve multiple, interconnected challenges that demand integrated solutions for people and prosperity \u2013 with the ocean at the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Innovation is the Accelerator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SIDS are testing and scaling innovative ocean-based solutions that can be replicated globally. Many islands are today incubating new and investable ocean-based solutions that can be scaled up to support successful transitions to ocean-positive economic sectors and centers of excellence, both in the islands themselves and to the benefit of countries beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seychelles<\/a> launched the world\u2019s first \u2018blue bond\u2019 to finance marine conservation. In Cuba<\/a>, nature-based solutions are reversing the degradation of the Sabana-Camag\u00fcey ecosystem. In the Maldives<\/a>, local communities have successfully banned single-use plastics. The new GEF-financed, UNDP-led Blue & Green Islands<\/a> initiative is taking this work further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Designed specifically for SIDS, it promotes nature-based solutions across three key economic sectors: urban development, food production, and tourism. It is the first of its kind\u2014focused on systems-level transformation that delivers global environmental benefits while advancing sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Innovative partnerships that crowd in public, private and philanthropic capital, like the Global Fund for Coral Reefs<\/a>, are also attracting and de-risking private sector investment into local businesses to protect and restore coral ecosystems. These new initiatives<\/a> are already inspiring similar models in other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SIDS for Ocean Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As global leaders gather in Nice for the third UN Ocean Conference and at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development<\/a>, (30 June-July 3) the message is clear: the world must rally behind SIDS to scale up the solutions they are already pioneering. By supporting their leadership, we create new \u2018oceans of opportunity\u2019 where people and planet can thrive together and where the path to sustainable development is swept forward by the oceans that touch every coastline in SIDs and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrancine Pickup<\/strong>\u00a0is Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Director of Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP New York.<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n