What to expect from this week’s UN Ocean Conference?

At least 55 heads of state are gathering in Nice this week to discuss the future of ocean protection. But what outcomes are expected from the UN Ocean Conference?

From overfishing and deep sea mining to ocean acidification and plastic pollution, there is no shortage of issues to tackle in Nice this week. The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) is seen as a chance to ‘turn the tide’ on ocean degradation, with attendance from nearly 60 world leaders.

Support grows for the High Seas Treaty

One of the most significant outcomes of this year’s conference would be the gathering of enough support to implement the High Seas Treaty – an agreement to protect marine biodiversity in international waters signed in 2023.

With about two-thirds of the ocean lying beyond national jurisdictions, the treaty aims to ensure that economic activities in international waters are regulated with environmental checks and balances, in addition to enabling the creation of marine protected areas in the high seas.

The EU and six member states formally ratified the agreement last month, and yesterday, 18 new countries ratified it, bringing the total to 49 – 11 short of the 60 countries needed to trigger the treaty’s implementation.

This was seen as “historic progress”, though NGOs warn that the UN is unlikely to garner the missing support during this week’s conference.

Deep sea mining moratorium

Another crucial topic at the UN Ocean Conference is deep sea mining. This controversial activity was meant to begin in 2025 after Noway decided to approve mining in the Arctic seabed in 2024. But popular mobilisation made Norway backtrack on these plans at the end of last year, with countries due to discuss a global moratorium on deep sea mining this year.

In a twist of events, US President Donald Trump unilaterally decided to accelerate the approval of deep sea mining projects in US and international waters this April, with the first permit expected to be requested this year by The Metals Company.

“This UN Ocean Conference must also be a moment when governments come together to reject The Metals Company’s submission of the first ever license to commercially mine the international seabed via the United States, a move which undermines the United Nations and multilateral cooperation,” said Megan Randles, Head of the Greenpeace delegation in Nice.

The first comments shared by French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday suggest that their resolve is strong to block the approval of deep sea mining.

“The moratorium on deep seabed exploitation is an international necessity," Macron told the audience upon opening the conference.

UN Ocean Conference and overfishing

Leaders at the conference are also expected to discuss how to limit overfishing, with the controversial practice of bottom trawling particularly in the focus.

The practice – which consists in dragging weighted nets along the sea floor, destroying corals, capturing protected species as well as fishing stocks and releasing carbon stored in the seabed into the atmosphere – is gaining wider awareness following David Attenborough’s latest documentary, Ocean.

The UK yesterday proposed expanding its ban on bottom trawling from 18,000km2 to 48,000km2 around its shores. At the same time President Macron announced an intention to “limit” the activity, banning it in 4% of its waters instead of the current 0.1% – a “missed opportunity” for activists.

Oceana Campaign Director Nicolas Fournier said: “President Macron built expectations that the French government would finally act against bottom trawling in marine protected areas – yet these announcements are more symbolic than impactful. Bottom trawling isn’t even occurring in most of the new areas proposed for protection, and the vast majority of protected areas in French European waters will remain only protected in name and do little to support the local communities and fishers that rely on them.”

Global Plastics Treaty

Finally, the UN Ocean Conference is a chance to continue the negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty – after the latest dedicated meeting ended in deadlock. The legally binding treaty aims to rid the world of plastic pollution, but oil-producing countries have so far blocked a clause about reducing plastic pollution.

“A strong ministerial statement on reducing plastic production ahead of the final round of plastics treaty talks would also be critical,” added Randles at Greenpeace.

“However, we are concerned that geopolitical dynamics that have continued to plague global cooperation will play out in Nice. This risks turning the conference into little more than a talking shop as shown by the state of the draft political declaration. Governments have been negotiating this declaration for many months now, but the latest draft lacks the necessary action across all issues, from deep sea mining to stopping plastic pollution.”