‘We are the ocean’

From June 9-13, France will co-host, with Costa Rica, the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). For this crucial event, around 100 heads of state and government will converge in Nice, as well as tens of thousands of researchers, scientists, economic actors, activists and citizens from around the world. On this occasion, France’s aim will be clear: protecting the ocean through tangible action.

The ocean is our common good. It feeds and protects our peoples. It makes us dream and travel. It provides us with sustainable energy, trade, resources and infinite scientific knowledge.

One in three people relies on the ocean for their livelihood, yet the ocean is in danger. It is an area that is still largely unknown, and lacks the global governance and funding necessary for its preservation. The figures are worrying: more than eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, according to a study published in the journal Science. Moreover, more than a third of fish stocks suffer overfishing, while ocean acidification, rising sea levels and the destruction of marine ecosystems gain pace, as direct consequences of climate change.

We must act now. More than ever before, we must make sure that multilateral action is equal to the challenges of protecting the ocean. 

Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, which established a binding global framework to limit climate change, the third United Nations Ocean Conference is a historic opportunity. The “Nice Ocean Agreements” can form an international pact for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015.

To this end, the talks in Nice need to be operational and action-focused, aiming for better governance, further financing and greater knowledge of the seas.

When it comes to governance, the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is essential. The high seas, which represent more than 60 per cent of the ocean, are currently the only area not governed by international law. The lack of surveillance and common rules is causing a real social and environmental disaster, with massive hydrocarbon and plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing techniques, and the capture of protected mammals. To end this legal vacuum, we need the BBNJ Agreement to be ratified by 60 countries, so as to come into force.

The protection of the ocean also requires public and private financing, and support for a sustainable blue economy. To continue enjoying the incredible economic opportunities offered by the ocean, we need to make sure marine resources can regenerate. In Nice, several commitments will be announced for global trade, shipping, tourism and investment.

Lastly, how can we protect something that we do not, or insufficiently, know? We need to enhance our knowledge of the ocean and disseminate it more effectively. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the Moon or of Mars, but the depths of the ocean, which covers 70 per cent of Earth’s surface, remain unknown. Together, let us mobilise science, innovation and education to better understand the ocean and raise public awareness.

In the context of ever faster climate change and overexploitation of marine resources, the ocean is not an issue like any other. It is everyone’s business. In a context in which multilateralism is being challenged, we must not forget our shared responsibility. The ocean is a universal bond, crucial for our future. Together, we can make the third United Nations Ocean Conference a major turning point for our peoples, for future generations and for our planet.

France is grateful for Jordan’s longstanding commitment on environmental matters and to advance the cause of the preservation of the ocean, as exemplified by the Hashemite Kingdom’s staunch action to protect the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba. We count on Jordan’s support to make UNOC3 an important milestone to achieve a sustainable management of the high seas.

Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison is the ambassador of France to Jordan