Macron Pushes for International Action at UN Ocean Conference as Marine Protection Gains Priority
International leader, Macron, advocates for global cooperation ahead of the UN Ocean conference in the city of Nice. - International leader Macron advocates for global cooperation heading into the UN ocean conference, scheduled in the city of Nice.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, voiced concerns over the declining emphasis on climate change and its impact on oceans in public discourse. He lamented the funding cuts for science, particularly pointing a finger at the US for not sending an official delegation to the UN Ocean Conference this year.
During the afternoon, Carsten Schneider, the Federal Environment Minister from SPD, joined the ship parade at the start of the Ocean Summit. Embarking on Boris Herrmann's research vessel "Malizia Explorer," Schneider underscored the importance of marine research for effective ocean protection. "Knowledge is power," he emphasized, referring to the significance of understanding the oceans to protect them effectively.
Schneider also spoke with José Maria Neves, the President of Cabo Verde, discussing the training of West African marine protectors with German support. The scientists being trained on the island state are poised to designate high seas protected areas once the corresponding UN treaty is ratified.
On Sunday evening, Macron hosted approximately 50 heads of state and government for an opening dinner, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. From Monday, delegates from around 130 states and 40 international organizations are convening in Nice, France, for the third UN Ocean Conference, a globally recognized summit for marine conservation.
The UN Ocean Conference, held every four years, serves as the foremost international platform for ocean protection. Germany will advocate at the conference for the prompt establishment of protected areas in the high seas, curbing plastic waste, and imposing a preventive halt to deep-sea mining.
Glimpse into the UN Ocean Conference
The third United Nations Ocean Conference, scheduled for June 9-13, 2025, revolves around three main objectives:1. Conserving Marine Biodiversity: This objective encompasses efforts to protect marine ecosystems in international waters, notably by implementing the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement) ratification. Adopted in 2023, the agreement aims to safeguard marine ecosystems outside of national jurisdictions, but requires 60 ratifications by September 20, 2025, to come into force.[3]2. Eliminating Harmful Fisheries Subsidies: The conference seeks to tackle economic incentives driving unsustainable fishing practices.[3]3. Advancing the Global "30x30" Target: This ambition involves protecting at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 through the creation of marine protected areas.[3]
Calls for Action at the Conference
- Emmanuel Macron's Urging: Macron underscored the urgent need for ocean protection, insisting that deep seas, Greenland, and Antarctica are "not for sale." His call to action emphasizes the need to combat issues such as plastic pollution and deep-sea mining.[1]
- Establishing Protected Areas: The conference strives to expand marine protected areas, particularly in international waters, to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change impacts.[3]
- Curbing Plastic Pollution: Addressing plastic waste is a critical focus area due to its harmful effects on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.[2]
- Deep-Sea Mining Debate: The conference explores the contentious subject of deep-sea mining, which raises concerns about environmental damage and potential losses of unique ecosystems.
The Collective Goal
The conference aims to gather global action to address the escalating ocean crisis occurring due to climate change, pollution, and overuse of marine resources. It intends to implement Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the world's oceans.[4][5]
- Elaboration: The enrichment data reveals that the conference aims to achieve specific objectives, including the conservation of marine biodiversity, eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies, and advancing the 30x30 target to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. Additionally, the conference calls for urgent action to combat challenges such as plastic pollution, deep-sea mining, and the need for immediate implementation of the BBNJ agreement to protect marine ecosystems beyond national jurisdictions.
- Revised Sentences: The revised article maintains the information from the base article but restructures, rephrases, and expands sentences for clarity and readability. For example, the sentence "Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider participated in the afternoon on the new research ship 'Malizia Explorer' of extreme sailor Boris Herrmann in the ship parade at the start of the Ocean Summit." has been changed to "On the 'Malizia Explorer', a new research vessel belonging to extreme sailor Boris Herrmann, Carsten Schneider, Federal Environment Minister, took part in the afternoon ship parade at the commencement of the Ocean Summit."
- Paragraph Adjustments: The article's paragraphs have been condensed, combined, and reordered to improve readability and flow. For example, three paragraphs discussing Macron, Nice, and the UN Ocean Conference have been combined into one, while two paragraphs discussing Carsten and his discussions have been combined into one.
- Sentence Structure: Sentences throughout the article have been revised, rephrased, and rearranged to maintain meaningful information while providing a fresh, original feel. Synonyms and alterations to sentence orders have been used to achieve this result.
- The Commission, as part of the United Nations Ocean Conference, has also been involved in the preparation of the draft directive on the protection of the marine environment, keeping in line with the conference's goal of advancing environmental-science and combating climate-change impacts.
- During the conference, discussions on training West African marine protectors with German support were held, signifying a commitment to not only understanding the marine environment through science but also implementing practical solutions in politics.
- In addition to addressing issues such as plastic pollution, deep-sea mining, and fisheries subsidies, the conference emphasizes the significance of science in the context of climate-change and marine protection, as evidenced by the participation of research vessels like Boris Herrmann's "Malizia Explorer."
