VICTORIA, Seychelles — The 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, officially opened yesterday in Nice, France, under the central theme ‘Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’. Seychelles is among the countries taking part, with a delegation led by Flavien Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment.
Building on the outcomes of the previous conferences in 2017 (New York) and 2022 (Lisbon), UNOC3 aims to catalyse global momentum toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) by enhancing partnerships, increasing investment, and strengthening science-based policy action across all levels of governance. The Seychelles delegation comprises representatives from the Department of Blue Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, and other partner agencies.
The conference is expected to produce an ambitious political declaration, a set of concrete commitments from member states, and a series of voluntary pledges to protect the ocean. For small island developing states such as Seychelles, the conference is widely viewed as a critical moment to push for binding commitments on plastic pollution, illegal fishing, and climate finance. The conference runs from June 9 to June 13, 2025.
-
-
-
-
