Next summer, the third UN global ocean conference will be held in Nice, France. The organizers are asking for proposals for measures needed to reach the goals for the sea. The Baltic Sea Center has responded and highlighted the themes and measures compiled by researchers and experts at Stockholm University in our new publication "Important measures for the Baltic Sea".
Photo: Bengt Ekberg/Azote.
The next UN Ocean Conference will be held in Nice, France, on 9-13 June 2025 with France and Costa Rica as joint hosts. The aim of the conference is to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Focus on actions and mobilisation
The overarching theme of next year's conference is to accelerate action and mobilise all stakeholders to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and seas. It will identify and support further and urgent actions for the conservation and use of the oceans.
Ellen Bruno
– The organisers want the conference to be a platform for building successful partnerships for the rapid completion and effective implementation of ongoing processes, says Ellen Bruno, Advocacy and Analysis Officer at Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre.
Recurring meetings
The conference will build on previous UN Ocean Conferences, organised by Sweden and Fiji in 2017 in New York and by Portugal and Kenya in 2022 in Lisbon. The Baltic Sea Centre participated in Lisbon as part of the Swedish delegation.
Gun Rudquist in Lissabon 2022.
– Some impressions from 2022 were that maritime discussions have at least moved from talking about whether problems exist to focusing on change, says Gun Rudquist, Head of Policy at Baltic Sea Centre who was there. However, there was still too much of a disconnect between land and sea - the ‘source-to-sea’ perspective was barely mentioned. Consequently, eutrophication was barely on the map, something we hope to change this time.
The conference will hopefully be a meeting place for representatives from all parts of society, including academia. Hopefully, this will include a discussion on how collaboration between research and the rest of society can be increased.
Baltic Sea Centre views presented
As a step in an inclusive process, an on-line consultation has just been carried out where the organisers are asking for suggestions on actions needed to achieve the goals.
The Leaflet Key measures for the Baltic Sea
– The Baltic Sea Centre has responded to the consultation, Ellen Bruno says. We focused on the themes and actions identified in our new publication ‘Key Measures for the Baltic Sea’. There, researchers and experts at Stockholm University have compiled a set of key actions that decision-makers around the Baltic Sea should focus on to realise the full benefits of the sea.
– We hope the government will continue to engage in global ocean work, Ellen Bruno finishes. The fact that the position of ocean ambassador has just been cancelled is a worrying cut. Rather, investments in maritime issues are needed.
