From Words to Waves: UN Adopts Ocean Action Plan

UN Ocean Conference in Nice Adopts Historic Declaration to Tackle Climate Crisis and Revitalize Marine Ecosystems

By: ATN News

NICE, France – June 13, 2025 — In a unified call for urgent and coordinated action, the United Nations Ocean Conference concluded today in Nice with the adoption of a sweeping political declaration aimed at reversing the accelerating degradation of the world’s oceans. Titled “Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action”, the outcome document underscores the ocean’s indispensable role in regulating the global climate and supporting life on Earth — while sounding the alarm that current efforts fall far short of what is needed.

The week-long summit, attended by high-level delegations from around the globe, culminated in the adoption of the so-called Nice Ocean Action Plan.. The declaration is both a roadmap and a warning. “The ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and to our future,” it reads, “and we remain deeply alarmed by the global emergency it faces.”

At the heart of the declaration is a stark acknowledgment: the ocean’s ability to serve as a climate buffer and biodiversity reservoir has been gravely weakened by human activity — from overfishing to pollution to ocean acidification. Despite broad agreement on Sustainable Development Goal 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, progress has lagged. “Action is not advancing at the speed or scale required,” the declaration states plainly.

Among its key provisions, the Nice Ocean Action Plan:

• Calls for accelerated global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ocean acidification;

• Reaffirms the critical importance of international frameworks, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;

• Commends small island developing states for their leadership on sea level rise, while expressing concern over the explosive growth of plastic pollution;

• Recognizes the untapped potential of sustainable ocean-based economies, particularly for developing and least developed countries;

• Stresses the need for scientific knowledge and traditional Indigenous knowledge to inform ocean management and policy;

• Urges swift ratification of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

Notably, the declaration also acknowledged that SDG 14 remains one of the least funded of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, warning that meaningful ocean action will require increased and accessible financing.

The outcome was not without controversy. In an explanation of position, the Russian Federation distanced itself from paragraph 26 of the declaration, which encourages prompt entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement. Meanwhile, Panama’s representative expressed disappointment that the Agreement was not fully implemented during the conference. Venezuela, while not a party to the Agreement, nonetheless endorsed the declaration’s broader vision.

Statements of commitment and ambition closed the conference. Elinor Hammarskjöld, Special Adviser to the Presidents of the Conference, praised the inclusive nature of the negotiations. “Together, we are shaping a future where cooperation leads to real lasting change,” she said.

Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, struck a more urgent tone. “The signs of the ocean in distress are all around us. The time of debating with the denialists is over.”

French Presidential Envoy Olivier Poivre d’Arvor offered a sobering reflection on the historic relationship between humanity and the sea: “How have we been able to get to the stage where we serve the ocean so poorly?” he asked. Achieving SDG 14, he said, is “not just a simple task — it’s an existential one.”

Chile and the Republic of Korea formally submitted a joint bid to host the next Ocean Conference in 2028, signaling continued momentum and the need for sustained multilateral engagement.

As the summit concluded, one message rang clear: safeguarding the ocean is not a niche environmental concern — it is central to climate stability, economic justice, and the survival of future generations. The declaration adopted in Nice may not have solved the crisis, but it marks a significant step in confronting it head-on.