In Nice, France, 170 countries adopted the “Our Ocean, Our Future” declaration and the Nice Action Plan. They pledged voluntary commitments without clear enforcement or accountability guidelines. One major area of progress was the BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) Treaty, an international agreement to protect marine biodiversity in the high seas.
The number of ratifying countries jumped from 22 to 51 during UNOC3 – just nine short of the 60 required for the treaty to enter into force. “This shows growing recognition that two-thirds of our ocean—the high seas—remains largely unregulated,” said Dr Michael Sivendra, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change. Fiji, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands submitted their ratifications, and Pacific voices like Palau, one of the earliest ratifiers, continued to push for full adoption.
