{"id":45753,"date":"2025-06-19T21:25:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=45753"},"modified":"2025-07-12T18:15:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T12:45:01","slug":"third-united-nations-oceans-conference-unoc-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-06-2025\/third-united-nations-oceans-conference-unoc-2025","title":{"rendered":"Third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, the <strong>third<\/strong> United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC), held in <strong>Nice, France, <\/strong>concluded with commitments aimed at<strong> safeguarding the planet\u2019s marine ecosystems.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Background: United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>1st UNOC (2017):<\/strong> In New York, Co-hosted by Sweden and Fiji; To support <strong>SDG 14: Life Below Water.<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>2nd UNOC (2022):<\/strong> In Lisbon, Co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya; To emphasize the <strong>need for science-based solutions<\/strong> and innovative partnerships.<br>&#8211; <strong>3rd UNOC (2025):<\/strong> In Nice, France, and co-hosted by Costa Rica<br>1. <strong>Theme:<\/strong> Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Outcomes of the Conference (2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High Seas Treaty Nears Enforcement:<\/strong> Fifty-six of the required sixty countries have ratified the <strong>Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement<\/strong> (aka <strong>High Seas Tr<em>eaty<\/em><\/strong>).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It enables the creation of <strong>marine protected areas (MPAs)<\/strong> in international waters, regulate marine genetic resources, and mandate environmental impact assessments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Voluntary Commitments and Financial Pledges<\/strong>: The European Commission <strong>pledged 1 Billion Euro<\/strong> to support ocean conservation and sustainable fishing.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>French Polynesia<\/strong> announced plans to establish the <strong>world\u2019s largest marine protected area<\/strong>, covering its entire exclusive economic zone\u2014about five million square kilometers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Political Declaration:<\/strong> Over 170 countries adopted the <strong>Nice Ocean Action Plan<\/strong>, a political declaration paired with <strong>more than 800 voluntary commitments.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These range from youth advocacy to deep-sea ecosystem literacy and capacity-building in marine science.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pushback Against Deep-Sea Mining:<\/strong> A growing coalition of nations called for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, citing its potential to irreversibly damage fragile marine ecosystems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Role and Roadmap:<\/strong> India pledged to ratify the High Seas Treaty and proposed a <strong>10-point roadmap<\/strong> for sustainable ocean governance. It includes:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scale Up the Blue Economy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce Marine Pollution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote Offshore Renewable Energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support the Global Plastics Treaty<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invest in Ocean Science and Technology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen Coastal Resilience<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure Equitable Access to Marine Resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pause Deep-Sea Mining<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Foster Global Partnerships<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About High Seas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/23-03-2023\/the-high-seas-treaty-key-provisions-challenges\"><strong>high seas<\/strong><\/a> refer to areas of the ocean that lie <strong>beyond the jurisdiction of any single country <\/strong>\u2014 specifically, <strong>beyond 200 nautical miles<\/strong> (about 370 kilometers) from a nation\u2019s coastline <strong>(United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea-UNCLOS).<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These waters are <strong>considered part of the global commons<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The high seas make up<strong> nearly two-thirds of the ocean\u2019s surface<\/strong> and are vital for regulating Earth\u2019s climate, supporting marine biodiversity, and sustaining global fisheries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Importance of Oceans<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Climate Regulation:<\/strong> Oceans absorb over 25% of global carbon emissions and generate 50% of the oxygen.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They act as Earth\u2019s largest carbon sink and heat buffer, helping stabilize the climate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food Security:<\/strong> Oceans provide 15% of the animal protein consumed globally.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In some developing nations, seafood is the primary protein source for over half the population.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Livelihoods and Economy:<\/strong> More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal resources for their livelihoods.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ocean economy is valued at $3\u20135 trillion annually, supporting industries like fisheries, tourism, and shipping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biodiversity Reservoir: <\/strong>Oceans host an immense variety of life\u2014from coral reefs to deep-sea ecosystems that are essential for ecological balance and future scientific discoveries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"96cbdd\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/our-world-ocean.png\" alt=\"our world ocean\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-45754\" style=\"--dominant-color: #96cbdd; width:424px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/our-world-ocean.png 850w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/our-world-ocean-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/our-world-ocean-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ocean Pollutions: <\/strong>An estimated 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic. Each year, 8 to 12 million metric tons more are added.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Asia largest (81%) contributors<\/strong> of ocean plastic pollution (largely due to inadequate waste management systems).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About 92% of <strong>microplastics <\/strong>have been found in 60% of fish consumed by humans annually.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Five major <strong>ocean garbage patches<\/strong>, with the <strong>Great Pacific Garbage Patch<\/strong> containing an estimated <strong>1.8 trillion pieces of trash<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About 14 million metric tons of ocean <strong>garbage rest on the seafloor.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By 2050, plastic in the <strong>ocean is projected to outweigh all fish<\/strong> if current trends continue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Currently, the <strong>ocean\u2019s average pH is 8.1<\/strong> which is about <strong>30% more acidic than in pre- industrial times<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other Concerns:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Overfishing, threatening marine species and food chains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Climate change, causing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-06-2025\/ocean-acidification\"><strong>acidification<\/strong><\/a>, sea-level rise, and coral bleaching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deep-sea mining, which risks irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ocean Conservation Efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Early Foundations (Pre-1970s): Interna<\/strong><strong>tional Whaling Commission (1946),<\/strong> one of the first global marine conservation agreements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Institutionalization (1970s\u20131990s): <\/strong>The US passed the <strong>Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (1972)<\/strong>, and the <strong>Law of the Sea Convention (1982)<\/strong> laid the groundwork for international maritime law.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scientific &amp; Global Expansion (2000s\u20132010s):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Marine Protected Areas (MPAs):<\/strong> Countries began designating MPAs to safeguard biodiversity. However, <strong>only about 2.7% of the oceans<\/strong> were highly protected till 2020.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data-Driven Conservation: <\/strong>Initiatives like <strong>MegaMove<\/strong> used satellite tracking to identify critical habitats for marine megafauna, helping shape smarter conservation strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modern Era (2020s\u2013Present):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High Seas Treaty (2023):<\/strong> It allows for the creation of MPAs in international waters\u2014covering nearly two-thirds of the ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>30&#215;30 Goal:<\/strong> At COP15 in 2022, nations committed to protecting 30% of oceans by 2030.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indigenous Knowledge Integration:<\/strong> Pacific Islander traditions are increasingly recognized as vital to conservation, blending ancestral wisdom with modern science.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/what-was-decided-at-the-un-oceans-conference-explained\/article69710425.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Recently, the third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC), held in Nice, France, concluded with commitments aimed at safeguarding the planet\u2019s marine ecosystems.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Key Outcomes of the Conference (2025)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">High Seas Treaty Nears Enforcement: Fifty-six of the required sixty countries have ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement (aka High Seas Treaty).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It enables the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, regulate marine genetic resources, and mandate environmental impact assessments.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">French Polynesia announced plans to establish the world\u2019s largest marine protected area, covering its entire exclusive economic zone\u2014about five million square kilometers.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Global Political Declaration: Over 170 countries adopted the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a political declaration paired with more than 800 voluntary commitments.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-06-2025\/third-united-nations-oceans-conference-unoc-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45753"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47971,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45753\/revisions\/47971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}