The Government of France, through its Embassy in Monrovia, has extended an invitation to Liberia to participate in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference taking place from June 9-13, in the French city of Nice.
In an article sent to this paper over the weekend, titled: “We Are the Oceans”, French Ambassador to Liberian H.E. Madam Isabelle Le Guellec revealed that her country will be hosting the third United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
This crucial event will converge 100 Heads of State and Government, 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 oceans through tangible action. The oceans belong to all of us. They feed and protect our peoples. They inspire dreams and enable travel. They offer sustainable energy, means to trade, resources and infinite scientific knowledge,” Ambassador Le Guellec said.
The article went further to say that one in three people relies on the oceans for their livelihood, yet the oceans are in danger, and remain little-known, with neither global governance nor the financing needed for their preservation.
More than eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, according to a study in 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, something the French Ambassador described a worrying.
“We must act now. More than ever before, we must make sure that multilateral action is equal to the challenges of protecting the oceans,” she said.
“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” will form a genuine international compact for conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, fully in line with the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015,” the French Embassy Article noted.
To this end, it supposed, the talks in Nice need to be very operational and action-focused, aiming for better governance, more financing and greater knowledge of the seas.
In terms of governance, Ambassador Le Guellec stated the Agreement 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% of the oceans, are currently the only space not governed by international law. The lack of oversight and common rules is causing a real social and environmental disaster, with massive hydrocarbon and plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing techniques, and the taking 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.
She said the protection of the oceans also requires public and private financing and support for a sustainable blue economy, adding that “To continue enjoying the incredible economic opportunities offered by the oceans, 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 what we know not – or know insufficiently? We need to enhance our knowledge of the oceans and share it better. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the Moon or of Mars, but the depths of the oceans – which cover 70% of Earth’s surface – remain unknown. Together, we need to put science, innovation and education to work to better understand the oceans and raise public awareness,” the Ambassador emphasized.
According to her, in the context of ever faster climate change and overexploitation of marine resources, “the oceans are not just one more issue: they are everyone’s business. We must not forget our shared responsibility in the context of challenges to multilateralism. The oceans join us all together and are central to our future. Together, we can make the third United Nations Ocean Conference a turning point for our peoples, for future generations and for our planet.”
The Conference is coming at a time when Liberia is in the process of ratifying the treaty, with the hope of concluding it before June 9.
“More than ever, we must take action together and make the third United Nations Ocean Conference a turning point. Your commitment will be decisive for sustainable management of the high seas. France will be pleased to welcome His Excellency Mr. Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice-President of the Republic of Liberia, to Nice, committed to the protection of the Ocean, for the celebration of the entry into force of the BBNJ Treaty. We are counting on you,” Ambassador Le Guellec said.
