United Nations Ocean Summit: Contributions by Leibniz Marine Tropical Research Centre (ZMT) at Nice's Global Oceans Gathering

UN Ocean Conference: Contributions of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Nice

The seaside city of Nice, France, will play host to international leaders, scientists, and ocean experts from across the globe for the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) from June 9 to 13, 2025. The high-level event will focus on accelerating global action to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).

Scientists from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, Germany, will be among the participants, contributing to events onboard the research vessel METEOR, provided by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) as the German contribution and platform for dialogue and exchange.

Over the course of four days, around 30 "side events" will take place on the METEOR in the Nice marina. These will include scientific panel discussions, receptions, and multimedia formats, themed "Aboard METEOR: from ocean science to ocean action."

France and Costa Rica are co-hosting UNOC-3, following the first two World Ocean Conferences in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022). The goal of the conference is to adopt a common ocean action plan ('Nice Ocean Action Plan') and make substantial progress in protecting the world's oceans, comparable to the progress achieved with the Paris Agreement in 2015 for climate protection.

Due to the pressures on the oceans from climate change, environmental pollution, and overfishing, and the current changes in marine sciences due to geopolitical developments, expectations for the conference are high.

Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz, scientific director of ZMT, expressed hope that the conference would send a clear signal for joint action: for the protection of more than 30% of the oceans, the rapid cessation of plastic pollution, and international financing for a sustainable blue circular economy.

Leonie Dziomba, a PhD student at ZMT, emphasized the significance of the UNOC-3 motto "Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean." She expressed hope that despite potential differences, a common, concrete roadmap – the 'Nice Ocean Action Plan' – will emerge at the conference.

Prof. Dr. Martin Zimmer, a Mangrove Ecologist at ZMT, stated that the world's seas and coasts must and will play a central role in our efforts to address global crises, such as pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. If we do not capitalize on the momentum of UNOC-3, we may miss one of the last chances to leave future generations a healthy ocean and healthy coastal ecosystems that are essential to ensuring human well-being.

Rebecca Lahl, Head of the Office for Knowledge Exchange at ZMT, stated that the UN Ocean Conference is more than a political meeting. It serves as a crucial platform to share global responsibility for the state of the seas and act together with international solidarity, sustainable financing, and targeted capacity development, particularly for Global South countries, which are often most affected.

For more information about ZMT's participation in UNOC-3, please contact [email protected].

[Enrichment Data Integration]The Nice Ocean Action Plan, to be adopted at the conference, aims to complete multilateral ocean-related processes, mobilize financial resources to support SDG 14, and strengthen marine science knowledge to improve policymaking. Organizations like ZMT are expected to play a vital role in providing critical marine science insights to inform policy, participating in stakeholder dialogues, and collaborating on blue economy and ocean sustainability initiatives during the conference. They may also collaborate with other scientific organizations and stakeholders to support the implementation of the Nice Ocean Action Plan through events, workshops, and public engagement during the conference.

These efforts at UNOC-3 aim to catalyze global momentum for ocean sustainability by 2030, particularly targeting the least funded SDG related to oceans.

Environmental science, particularly from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), will play a crucial role at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice, contributing to discussions and events focused on ocean conservation and sustainable use, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).
The adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan is expected to be a significant outcome of UNOC-3, with organizations like ZMT contributing to multilateral ocean-related processes, mobilizing financial resources, and strengthening marine science knowledge to improve policymaking.
In the context of climate-change, pollution, and overfishing, the UNOC-3 motto "Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean" is of great importance to ZMT, who hope for a common, concrete roadmap – the 'Nice Ocean Action Plan' – to emerge from the conference, focusing on the protection of oceans, the rapid cessation of plastic pollution, and international financing for a sustainable blue circular economy.

United Nations Ocean Summit: Contributions by Leibniz Marine Tropical Research Centre (ZMT) at Nice's Global Oceans Gathering