13 June 2025 - Ships in the port of Nice sounded their fog-horns on Friday, a brassy crescendo to a rare moment of global unity as the Third UN Ocean Conference drew to a close. Moments earlier, more than 170 countries had adopted by consensus a sweeping political declaration promising urgent action to protect the ocean.
¡°We close this historic week not just with hope, but with concrete commitment, clear direction, and undeniable momentum,¡± Li Junhua, the UN¡¯s Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the summit, told reporters.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the five-day event brought 15,000 participants, including more than 60 Heads of State and Government, to France¡¯s Mediterranean coast.
With over 450 side events and nearly 100,000 visitors, the gathering, dubbed , built on the momentum of previous ocean summits in (2017) and (2022). It culminated in a shared call to expand marine protection, curb pollution, regulate the high seas, and unlock financing for vulnerable coastal and island nations.
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