8th plenary meeting | Closing - 2025 UN Ocean Conference (Nice, France)

I now invite the Conference to consider sub-item B of agenda item 7 entitled Report of the Credentials Committee. The Conference has before it a report of the Committee issued as document 2025/15 concerning the credentials of the representatives to the Conference. I give the floor to the Chair of the Committee, Ms. Asha Challenger of Antigua and Barbuda, to introduce the report of the Committee.

Thank you. On behalf of the Credentials Committee, I have the honour to introduce the report of the Committee concerning the credentials of the representatives of States and the European Union to the 2025 United Nations Conference to support the implementation of sustainable development goal 14, conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development contained in document A/CONF.230/2025/15. Having considered the credentials of the representatives at its meeting on the 12th of June 2025, the Credentials Committee adopted without a vote a draft resolution accepting the credentials. The Committee also recommended to the plenary of the Conference the adoption of the draft resolution concerning credentials of representatives to the Conference contained in paragraph 16 of the report of the Committee. I would like to note that since the meeting of the Credentials Committee, formal credentials were received by the Secretary-General regarding Azerbaijan, Barbados, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Jamaica, Nauru, Palau, Poland, Singapore, and Slovenia. The Conference is therefore requested to adopt the draft resolution approving the report of the Credentials Committee and accept the additional credentials submitted subsequent to the meeting of the Credentials Committee. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the Committee and to the Secretariat for facilitating our work. Thank you.

I thank the Chair of the Committee. May I take it that the conference wishes to adopt the draft resolution entitled Credentials of representatives to the 2025 UN Conference to support implementation of sustainable development goal 14, conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, recommended by the committee in paragraph 16 of its report? and accept the additional credentials which the conference was just informed of. I hear no objections. This is so decided. Conference has thus concluded. consideration of sub-item B of agenda item 7 and of agenda item 7 as a whole. Co-Presidents, I now have the honour to call to the podium the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, Dr. Arnoldo Andre.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, the conference will now consider agenda item 10 entitled outcome of the conference. The conference has before it a draft resolution contained in document A/CONF. 230/2025/L1, like to thank all States for their constructive participation in the negotiations of the draft declaration and especially the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental negotiations, His Excellency James Larson, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations in New York, and Her Excellency Tania Romualdo, Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde to the United Nations in New York, for leading and successfully concluding the negotiations on the draft declaration. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/CONF.230/2025. Before giving the floor to delegations for explanations of vote before the vote, may I inform delegations that explanations of vote are limited to five minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. the conference will now be adopting a decision on draft resolution A/CONF.230.2025.L.1 entitled Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action. May I take it that the Conference wishes to adopt draft resolution A/Con230/2025/L1? No objections, so decided.

The conference will now consider agenda.

Item eleven entitled adoption of the report of the conference.

Beg your pardon?

Before giving the floor after the vote to delegations to explain their position, I would remind you that explanations are limited to five minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. The Russian Federation and Chile have asked for the floor. Please go ahead, Russia.

Distinguished President, delegates, Russian Federation supported the declaration of the conference. We took an active part in the work on the text. Our country sets great store by issues of conservation and sustainable use of the oceans. However, I'd like to make the following statement, which we'd like to go on the into the minutes of the conference. Russian Federation distances itself from the consensus on para 26 of the declaration, which underlines the importance of swift entry into force of the agreement on the basis of the UN Convention on conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. in ABNJ's. As repeatedly and consistently stressed by the Russian Federation, we believe that this instrument is unacceptable. It undermines the provisions of the most important existing international treaties, including the UNCLOS and the Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks, and allows entry interference in the mandates of specialised international organisations and entities, including those in the field of fisheries. Thank you very much.

I give the floor to Chile.

Thank you, Mr. Co Chair. We do not have an explanation of vote. Mr. President, but rather another issue. Let me briefly say that Chile has included the ocean as a fundamental component of its development strategy and of its foreign policy. And the challenges to ensure a healthy and productive ocean are daunting, without a doubt. However, The effort of many through multilateralism, I think, can send us in the right track to protect and sustainable use for ocean. We want to commend France and Costa Rica for their leadership and firm hand to guide our discussions in this historic conference. We have seen the vitality of the ocean community working together to find solutions, to forge initiatives, and to build bridges with other processes. We are particularly pleased to see the progress in the ratification of the BBNJ, which has put us on the verge of the 60th ratification that will trigger its entry into force. We believe that this is crucial for ocean governance and urgent to achieve the 30% target by 2030. Chile is contributing to this through initiatives like the BB&J First Movers, which aims at developing high quality, high season PAs so that it can be tabled as soon as possible to the BB&J COP. Today, Chile is proud to join forces with the Republic of Korea and propose to co-chair the fourth United Nations Ocean Conference in 2028. This will be the last UNOC before 2030 and therefore will be our last opportunity to speed up our work to meet the targets of SDG 14 and also to start discussing post-2030 plans among other objectives. Finance and science will remain fundamental pillars of ocean action and protection. We intend to build on the work of UNOC III to give consistency to the multilateralism efforts. In this UNOC III, we had the pleasure to have in our delegation representatives of local governments, indigenous peoples, private sector, and civil society. The social dimension of the ocean agenda is what ultimately will determine the level of success of our efforts. we hope we will also bring to this UNOC 4 so that we can continue to have an open and inclusive debate where everyone has an opportunity to speak up with all the many leaderships and voices of the ocean community gathered here in Nice. Together, we can build and implement strong solutions for the sustainable ocean we need. We can do it, Mr. President. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Chile. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Korea.

Thank you, President, for giving me the opportunity to speak in this plenary. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to France and Costa Rica, along with our UN colleagues, for convening this vital gathering for a sustainable ocean. This conference, UNOC3, has been an invaluable opportunity to witness the strong commitment of numerous countries towards entry into force of the BBNJ agreement, and to share our collective will for urgent ocean action. Now, as we look ahead, our next stage, UNOC 4, represents a pivotal moment. It's time to discuss how we'll cooperate on concrete actions, what resources we'll mobilize, and which best practices we'll draw upon to implement these crucial initiatives. In addition, The year 2028 holds particular significance as it comes just three years before the 2030 target year for the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be a crucial moment to take stock of our collective efforts to date, discuss additional actions needed in the final stretch, and begin shaping the post-2030 agenda for our sustainable ocean. Recognizing this importance of the moment, as our head of delegation stated in the plenary on Tuesday, the Republic of Korea, together with the Republic of Chile, stand ready to co-host the fourth United Nations Ocean Conference in 2028. Korea is committed to ensure that UNOC 4 is a well-prepared, impactful, and enjoyable conference that will get all of us here today and advance global ocean actions. We kindly request the support of all member states in this endeavor. Mexico, thank you very much.

Thank you to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea. We've heard the last. statements in explanation of vote after the vote. The Conference has thus concluded consideration of item 10 of the agenda. The Conference will now consider agenda item 11 entitled Adoption of the report of the Conference. I invite the Conference to turn to document A slash conf 230 slash 2025 slash L2 containing the draft report of the conference in this connection I give the floor to the rapporteur general of the conference his Excellency Omar Hilal of Morocco to introduce the draft report of the conference

It's my honor to present the draft report of the conference as contained in a conf 230 2025 L2. Chapter one will be complimented taken to account of adoption of the resolution entitled our ocean our future united urgent action chapter two contains information on organization of the work and other organizational issues including the date and venue of the conference participation conference opening election of two presidents other members of the bureau the rules and regulations agenda, organisation of work and other issues, as well as the credentials of representatives participating in the Conference. This chapter will be supplemented to reflect the debates from the first and last plenary sessions.

Chapter three will be completed with information on the statements made by all representatives in the course of the general debate and you will also find there a summary of the statements. Chapter four will be completed with information on the ten action panels, ocean action panels, particularly summaries of the discussions. Chapter five will be completed by information regarding examination of the report on commission credentials and six will be completed by information on discussions regarding the outcome document of the conference, particularly the decision regarding draft resolution A/CONF 2302025N1 Our Ocean Our Future United for urgent action and finally chapters seven and eight will be completed to reflect the debates in this session regarding adoption of the conference report and the closure of the conference the list of these documents will appear in the final report. I have concluded with the presentation of the draft report and it is a great honour to submit this draft to the Conference so that it can be adopted and to ask the Conference for authorisation to establish the final version after the closure of the Conference with support from the secretariat, as per the practice followed under UN conferences. With the authorization of the co-chairs, I feel I have to conclude my statement by expressing my thanks to the host country and the co-presidents Costa Rica and France, and also Member States who have all really mobilized to uphold the cause of oceans. We hope this will be a new political momentum that we see with a view to SDG 14. This moment, I think, has been marked by the very high level of participants, the depth of the discussions, the recommendations stemming from the ocean action panels, and the regional and sub-regional summits. including the Mediterranean one, which have added value to the conference in terms of political commitment and identifying ambitious actions for oceans. This political will can be seen by 19 ratifications and the visa via the BBN treaty in Nice. We also have 96 signatures for the Nice action call to combat pollution in the ocean. The importance of this conference can also be seen with the participation of 175 member states, 174 UN bodies and more than 100,000 participants in the green zone. Nice shall not only be a sort of tipping point in the right direction, as the mayor of Nice said, but also a structuring step forward so that more and more people are aware of the ocean urgency. I hope that the spirit of Nice will be a source of inspiration for upcoming conferences and ensure that we keep the momentum going for collective action to save our blue planet. Thank you.

I'd like to thank the general rapporteur of the conference. Panama has asked for the floor.

Thank you, thank you, President.

France and the government of Costa Rica for the organization of this conference. Colleagues, our time is running out. and we must move faster. Yes, this week we advanced on the support for the ratification of BB&J, and we also scaled up the support for the precautionary pause of deep sea mining. However, out of this conference, we should have left with BB&J full into force, and we should have left with a stronger support to halt deep sea mining. Colleagues, there are so many other issues that we need to move faster on. Underwater noise is threatening marine life, and we must develop global standards to stop it. We also must be ambitious. and build for Geneva the momentum so that we get to a plastic treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, a plastic treaty that addresses production, a plastic treaty that addresses chemicals of concerns, and a plastic treaty that includes a financial mechanism to help developing countries to transition out of this toxic product. Let's remember that we are turning our oceans into a waste dump for plastic, and we're doing the same for our babies. Our babies are getting poisoned even before they take their first breath. Additionally, we must advance faster on the precautionary pause against deep sea mining. We cannot turn the deep sea into the Wild West, and we must protect this global heritage. Furthermore, we must stop killing whales and dolphins. It is just wrong, it is immoral, and it has no justification, even if it is for traditional reasons. We must stop it. It is not right. Lastly, Panama would like to propose that for the next conference, there is more access to civil society and young people to the different spaces. I must admit, it was really hard for me to understand why civil society could not walk into the floor to be able to engage with different government representatives. Once again, thank you. Thank you so much for the space, but less moves faster. What we have at risk is our own future, and we cannot afford to lose it. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Thank you. I'd like to thank the distinguished representative of Panama. Well, we are discussing the report of the conference. The distinguished representative of Venezuela has asked for the floor.

Thank you. I'd like to congratulate all delegations. Thank you for your participation. It's been a productive week. We'd like to restate our reservation on SCG14. We are not part of UNCLOS nor the BBNJ. This is something which does not tie in with our domestic legislation. And because of the reasons that have prevented us from being party to this, the reasons are still the same. The non-objection to this cannot be interpreted, however, as a change in Venezuela's position regarding the convention. However, We have been in favor of this declaration and the outcome of the conference because we are deeply committed to peace as well as preserving and protecting our oceans in a sustainable and ethical and equitable fashion based on common responsibility but differentiated responsibility, which reflects those measures to ensure that we protect nature with a constructive vision to allow us to recover those harmed ecosystems with a social and realistic vision looking at the legacy that we will be giving to future generations. I'd like to repeat our thanks. for this conference, we'd like to congratulate the organizers and indeed we'd like to congratulate all the volunteers, the interpreters as well, who have managed to ensure that this has happened when their work is absolutely indispensable for the work that we're all doing. Many thanks.

I'd like to thank the distinguished representative of Venezuela for those comments. We'd now like to move to approving the report. Can I take it that the conference wishes to approve draft report and authorize the general rapporteur to finalize this in line with United Nations practice? There are no objections.

It is so agreed.

We have therefore concluded item 11 of the programme. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this now brings us to the last item on our agenda, item 12, entitled closing of the conference. under which we will hear concluding statements. I'd like to invite the Special Adviser to the Presidents of the Conference on Oceans and Legal Matters, Madam Eleanor Hamersgold, to deliver a closing statement.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. As we're moving towards the end of the UN Conference on the Oceans 2025, it's a great pleasure to give you some final thoughts. Allow me, first of all, to really thank the French government as well as Costa Rica. for their devotion and the fact that they have been key in organizing this meeting in the beautiful city of Nice. Thanks also goes to regional authorities, municipal and local authorities for their exceptional commitment. We've received a very warm welcome. Over the last few days, we've met here to rise to the most pressing challenges facing the ocean. real challenges. And as the Secretary-General himself said, opening this conference, we are going through turbulent times. However, we've been able to observe here a real and tangible commitment. This conference has underscored the indissociable link between humanity and its future and the ocean, highlighting the key role of the oceans, not only as a source of life and a source of resources, but also something that can actually act to leverage solutions, be it food security, climate resilience, or sustainable development. In parallel, he also underscored something that is True. Ensuring sustainable use of the oceans and its resources is our common and shared responsibility.

To all of you, government representatives, youth, indigenous peoples, local communities, academia, scientists, industry leaders, and civil society at large, I extend my deepest appreciation. Your dedication and unwavering commitment have been the driving force behind making ocean governance more inclusive, ensuring that every voice is heard and every perspective represented. Thanks to your efforts, the hope for the ocean and for multilateralism grows stronger. And together, we're shaping a future where cooperation leads to real lasting change. As reflected in the declaration just adopted, There's a clear reaffirmation of a strong commitment to conserve and sustainably use our oceans, seas, and marine resources. One of the cornerstones of these efforts will be the BBNJ agreement, which has been a special highlight of this conference. The adoption of this historic agreement was hailed as a major achievement for the ocean, for multilateralism, and for the United Nations. Its swift entry into force and effective implementation will be a vital step towards reversing destructive trends facing the ocean and restoring ocean health, addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. During this conference, states from all regions undertook treaty actions under the BBNJ agreement, bringing us today in total to 136 signatures and 51 ratifications, including 50 states and the European Union. At this point, I'm glad to announce that only 10 ratifications are needed for the agreement to enter into force. The Secretary-General has urged all delegations to ratify the agreement and to make most of this momentum towards its swift entry into force. The United Nations will continue to work with all of you to make the BBNJ agreement and its implementation a reality. The Nice Ocean Action Plan made-up of the political declaration adopted by the conference and the list of voluntary commitments provides a solid roadmap for our future action. The many commitments must now be translated into concrete action. We must continue to be guided by international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. which provides a legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas must be carried out. Several critical milestones are ahead of us in that regard. In August, negotiations will resume for the development of an internationally legal binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Also in August, the preparatory commission established by the General Assembly to prepare for the entry into force of the BBNJ agreement, will be continuing its fundamental work. Also, the International Seabed Authority will continue its essential work towards the adoption of regulations providing the required framework to ensure the sustainability of activities in the area. Mr. President, as we leave this conference today, let us carry forward the momentum built during these our days in Nice to accelerate ocean action guided by the principle of cooperation and respect for international law. The ocean cannot wait. Thank you.

I would like to thank the Special Adviser to the President of the Conference on Oceans and Legal Matters. And I'd now like to invite the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for the Ocean, Mr. Peter Thomson, to deliver his closing statement.

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, all courtesies observed. Thank you, Nice. Thank you, Mayor Estrosi. Thank you, France. Thank you, President Macron. Merci beaucoup. Thank you, Costa Rica. Thank you, President Chavez. Muchas gracias. Thank you to the Secretary-General of the Conference, USG Lee, and the Special Adviser to the Co-Presidents, USG Hummersgold. Thank you to all my colleagues in the UN Secretariat who have worked so diligently over the last three years to make this conference the success it has been. Thank you to the officials of the French and Costa Rican governments who gave so much of themselves in the organization of this historic conference. Thank you to the permanent representatives of Australia and Cabo Verde for co-facilitating the conference's political declaration. And thank you to the tireless organizers of the conference's three special events. Thank you, science. Thank you, civil society, philanthropy, NGOs, youth representatives, and the private sector present. Without you, we go nowhere. Thank you to the media. for spreading the message. And thank you to the security officials who kept us safe at the conference and made us walk so far just to keep us all fit. But most of all, thank you to all of you who came from all corners of the globe to be at this conference to accelerate action to conserve and only sustainably use the ocean's resources. Ladies and gentlemen, the ocean is life. Around the world, we behold its beauty and have weaved it into our cultures. We've weaved its wonder into our cultures. Without it, there'd be no rain, no food, no air to breathe. And along with the sun, the ocean is our planet's greatest climate regulator. You might then expect that the relationship of humans to the ocean would be one of deep respect, maybe even of reverence. But of late, that has not been so. We overexploit and we explicitly harm marine life. We pollute our surrounding seas with chemicals and plastics. And with our greenhouse gases, we unrelentingly warm the ocean so that coral reefs perish and sea levels rise. We must face the truth. signs of the ocean's distress are all around us. The International Science Council has now confirmed the reality that we have disrupted the earth system and must recognize that accelerating climate change and associated environmental stresses are resulting in major changes to the functioning and the health of the ocean with inevitable impact on people and ecosystems. So what comes next? Obviously the time for half measures over. The time for debating with the denialists and the deliberately obstructive is over. For the great majority of humanity, in recognition of the existential challenges posed by global warming and climate change, there must be no more time wasting. As we near 2030, we have to redouble our efforts to reach the targets that we've set for ourselves. But we must also look beyond them and begin envisioning a better future. We need to picture a world in which humanity's relationship with the ocean is one of regeneration, reciprocity, and respect. This means rethinking our ambitions and boldly reshaping our approach to sustainability, guided by the best available science, traditional knowledge, and the lived experience of those on the front lines of ocean change. The ocean has extraordinary powers of resilience. So let us be inspired by those powers to reset the balance in our relationship with Mother Nature. It also means we've got to fortify the existing tools and mechanisms that we have, including the Ocean Climate Dialogue held annually at the UNFCCC headquarters in Bonn. The ocean's voice should be central. to any rational discussions on the measures of mitigation and adaptation required to provide humanity with a resilient future. That means the ocean's voice being heard loud and clear at UNFCCC COP30 in Belem, and with a bold call for COP31 to be a blue conference. The third UN Ocean Conference has been a moment of global reckoning. for SDG 14, and a chance for us to chart a better course through new commitments and strengthened cooperation. Over the years, I've learned that it's not so much what happens at a UN ocean conference, it is what happens after it. With the elevated ambition, and the knowledge, and the partnerships, and the pent-up energy engendered over the last two weeks here in Nice, we will now accelerate our ocean action around the world. So ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, I really want to thank the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Korea for their enlightened offer to co-host the fourth UN Ocean Conference in Korea in 2028. In the interim, we have much work to do in the implementation of the outcomes of the Nice Conference. As we apply ourselves to the great tasks ahead, let us remember why we are toiling. We're doing this for our little ones. so that the planet will still be capable of sustaining them when they are adults, when they are raising children of their own. The continuity is everything. So may you be empowered by that as you leave Nice today. Put your faith in reason. Heed the science. Put your hope in progress. And together we'll create the course along which that progress can advance into a resilient and, yes, a joyful world. Thank you.

I'd like to thank the Special Envoy, the Secretary General of the United Nations for the Ocean. I'd now like to invite the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations. I'd now like to invite His Excellency Olivier Poivre d'Arvor from France to deliver his closing remarks.

Thank you. Thank you to you all. I think we've all been on a long road to Nice. It's taken years, I know. Also, some of you have spent two weeks here. I mean, there are worse places to have spent the last two weeks, but I very much appreciate the fact that you've devoted your energy to this. And in the past, we have people who, of course, are forebears, if you like, who really struggled for this UN conference on the ocean. They wanted it to be a binding instrument like COP. And this is something I think that has really sped up the decision-making process. But if I may, I would also like to extend thanks to those who for three years have helped me build this conference. last three years for work and we're not doing it just for our children, but for my team, my team over there, and I really want to pay tribute to them before I have to say goodbye to them. Thank you so much. Five days ago, when we launched UNOC3 in Nice, the United Nations, and I would very much like to pay tribute to them. through this challenge down the oceans on the 13th of June, NIS, I think, has pulled this off. And it was high time, really high time for this to happen. For thousands of years now, our oceans, who impenetrable, everywhere. They have shaped our world. They have created islands, continents, states, the global world as we know it, which is the one we live in now. And for centuries now, men have been using the oceans, using them, for instance, by exploring other worlds, sometimes imposing by doing that their cultures on weaker more vulnerable peoples who all too often they have subjected and simply trampled over. For centuries also, the oceans have allowed people to trade in goods and make their own particular fortunes. For centuries as well, men have exploited the oceans, used it too much, used it to dump their waste, and the ocean is now tired. The ocean feels dirty. It's polluted. It's been humiliated. For a century now, men have still been dumping cables, undersea cables. And on the surface, these wind farms are appearing to produce renewable energies. However, glaciers, the poles, are melting and it's the sea that is rising, submerging the coastline states, coastal cities. For centuries now, people have been going to the beach to look at this horizon. But of course, there's also a carbon footprint there. We may have to pay the bill because of this. For centuries, some have tried to know the ocean better to protect it. Our scientists, they're doing this, however, with sums that are unworthy of science. Credit allocated to ocean research represents every year 0.05%. of the global GDP. So just small change, peanuts. How have we been able to get to this stage where we serve the ocean so poorly without a binding instrument, without a cop, without rules, without jurisdiction, without any recourse to science? For a week now, we've been joined in Nice on the Mediterranean shoreline. 10% of the biodiversity in the world and 30% of maritime transport is accounted for by the Mediterranean. And we've been working for a week, all week, and shoulder to shoulder, you know, a vote is a vote. We have 14,000 delegates. And on the 8th and 9th of June, 75 heads of state and government, 30 heads of UN bodies, 115 ministers, but what's really important, 130,000 visitors who came to La Baleine, the whale. There's been a real peak in attendance, and I think this shows that the oceans interest not just our own closed circle, but much wider than that. And we want to create this energy ourselves in Costa Rica, but it's thanks to you with Emmanuel Macron and President Chavez. They have really invested very closely with their respective foreign affairs ministry, and I'd very much like to thank them for their energy and drive. We can announce the Nice commitment for the oceans, and I think it will make history. There it is. It will be integrated into the Nice Ocean Action Plan, thanks to the General Assembly resolution. Yet again, I want to just talk about the starfish. And the first branch is that which allows us to consolidate equitable governance based on law and justice. The high seas treaty, I think, is in the bag because we have enough countries, 55 ratified, more have deposed their signature verification, and they have committed formally to this. That means that in September 2025, in just a few weeks, in New York at the high level General Assembly, we'll be even more behind us, probably 17, for the official ceremony with the UN Secretary-General and heads of state and government. Nobody thought this was going to be possible. You've done it. You've made it possible. Thanks. The ratification of the BBNG is the victory of law over the far west. It is the founding act of the rule of law and that rules can apply to nearly half the surface of our globe. So, 2028, I mean, I know it's still down the road. You want to start now, but we will have a COP1 in New York before the end of 2026. So we've got the high seas treaty, but the seabed, the seabed, it's not just in the bag. We've got 37 who have joined this. coalition for a moratorium or precautionary pause on this. Now, it's not an ideological position or a position of principle, it's a responsibility, as Peter Thomson has just said, it's for our children. Nobody knows what is there in the deep sea. There is no regulation, you know, we have quite verbose declarations, but they're not specific to this, they don't properly protect this. you cannot launch recklessly down this path and this is what we've done here thanks to your commitment thank you to your countries you know we started one two five now we've got 37 which means that this mining code in could only be done in a legal framework in other words the international seabed Authority won't be and we have this precautionary pause which will be imposed on all I certainly hope the next UNOG4 meetings will be in favor of this precautionary pause. Thank you to Chile, you've already done that. Other agreements for UNOG3 in Nice will be implemented by now in the end of the year, fish one against illegal fishing together with the WTO and the Cape Agreement with the IMO. IMO has done great work for decarbonizing navigation, also our work with the ILO. So it's quite a good harvest, I think, that we've seen here, and fishing will be more sustainable.

Second branch of the starfish is the financing or the decoupling of knowledge in terms of resources, knowledge of the ocean for the benefit of all actors. And yet never has so much been done for the oceans as in Nice for the first time, as you've heard, the UN conference being inaugurated by a scientific congress and marine universities from the whole world have brought together over 2,000 researchers have made recommendations to leaders, a major exploration mission that I urge you join. The Neptune mission will bring together the oceanographic institutes of over 20 countries as well as private research entities. Some of them are in the Nice port and we met some of them showed their satisfaction after this meeting. Some are here today for the raising of the flag. By 2040 then we'll be producing free access data and many countries have already shown, I think in particular China, for their desire to join that great mission to give free access and alliance for space action. Born in Nice this week will play a crucial role. Mercator Oceans will become an intergovernmental organization to produce the first volume on the seas. I post for to provide scientific data for countries. There's also Starfish came out at 8 June 1st barometer on the state of the oceans. Now every year on the day of the oceans, it allows us to measure progress made, but also any regressions made when it comes to protection of the ocean. As to the decade of the science of this cryosphere documenting 2025 to 2040, the drastic situation of the poles and glaciers was also launched on 8th June under UNESCO. The third branches of new financing was announced at Monaco during the BEF forum, commitments from big companies investing in ocean friendly initiatives, creating a pact for blue ocean tourism, renewed commitment from state shipbuilders to implement by 2020, 2050. full decarbonization of maritime transport and finance over 10 years, a hundred billion dollar fund for the LDCs, for the developing countries. So thank you very much to the IMO, thank you very much to the shipbuilders, we made a lot of, we're catching up with the situation in aviation. Now the fourth branch is combating, yes, we can give them a round of applause. Fourth branch. Because this summit is not just a conference of consensus only, it's a summit of struggle, it's about struggle, combating plastic pollution, that's drastic situation. 96 countries have signed in Nice a commitment to adopt an ambitious treaty and we thank them. Next meeting, it's not in three years, it's things start in August in Geneva this summer. But through reducing production, and I trust that that treaty can finally be reached, and then there's also the, there's also the plan for to combat the sargassum in the Caribbean, there's a call to end the, uh, the… the killing of sharks who are in grave danger of extinction. There's the struggle against sonar pollution moving up to 11% of MPAs with the ambition of 30% of MPAs by 2030. France and French Polynesia have played a major role. In 2026, our countries have committed to cover 78% of the EEZ with MPAs with and prohibit deep sea trawling, bottom trawling in areas mapped on a scientific basis in agreement with fisherfolk. The fifth branch, finally, is the growing impact of marine basins, watersheds, the first European pact, the first blue deal with funding. Major funding from 2027, the connected Mediterranean as mentioned, the pact for a sustainable blue ocean, thanks the government of Morocco, the global forum of island deltas, that's the first coalition of cities and coastal regions that started in Nice and that represent the fates of almost a billion citizens. Now today, the stakes are high. The ocean is our final frontier, our final line against the collapse of humanity. It is that ocean, our sole ally, while, and our best friend, the, the, our allies that will be sort of for generations, for local communities, for women, for young people. elected members in recent years, they've made their voice heard in Nice, as did President Macron on Monday, 9th June. He said, "The ocean is not for sale, Greenland is not for sale, nor is Antarctic, nor are fishing licenses in developing countries." When multilateralism is being tested, UNOCS III, thanks to you, has been a success, a major success. All we needed, we lacked direction, but we lacked a team, but now we have a compass, now we have the equipment, now we have direction, and now we just need to keep going and never regress, let the winds blow us in the right direction. So the ocean is also a marvel, it's a major blue dream, it's one of beauty, one of dreams, an ocean which forces respect. The ocean, with its humid zones, poles, it's 80 of the water which covers the planet, like us, men and women, whose bodies are made of that same proportion of water, the ocean is us, we are the ocean. I thank you.

Thank you.

I would like to thank His Excellency the Special Envoy of France, Mr. Pavel Davora. Let me now deliver some closing remarks. Excellencies, during these few days we have from governments, scientists, political officials, community representatives, banks, philanthropists, NGOs, representatives of civil society, diverse voices but united around a common goal, ensuring the health of our oceans and the well-being of persons who depend on it. Nonetheless, thus far, the journey didn't just begin on Monday. It's the result of a path we've walked for three years when we met in Lisbon under the leadership of Kenya and Portugal three years ago. Since then, thousands of hours of work have gone into making this conference possible, from negotiations to define its mandate and format, until the preparatory meeting selection of themes for the panels. the ocean panels and mobilization of diverse actors, including science, technology, financing, to make sure that this conference should be as ambitious, relevant, and transformative as possible. Costa Rica contributed to those efforts by organizing the high level meeting held on the 7th, 8th of June of 2024 in San Jose. That event brought together more than 1,500 delegates from more than 40 countries to show and to discuss initiatives, present and discuss initiatives, conservation initiatives, highlight best practice in governance in ocean health, and concluded with the launch of the Declaration of Peace for the Oceans. geared towards promoting transformative action at this meeting in Nice and moving towards UNOC 4, whose co-organisation was recently announced by the Republic of Korea and Chile. We also understand the importance of aligning this agenda with the public and do make great efforts to move from the abstract to the concrete. A fundamental example was the work of action for the ocean communities coordinated by UNDESA contributing with substantive contributions to accelerate impact. Those recommendations should serve as a guide in strengthening cooperation channeling resources and scaling solutions. Colleagues, this week in Nice has reminded us that the ocean has no borders. It's profoundly interconnected with the earth, the freshwater ecosystems, the seabed, biodiversity and climate. Its well-being isn't protected by isolated silos between sectors, although we know that fully achieving SDG 14 is not just a simple task. This conference has made it clear that collective willingness does exist, and that time for action is one of the central pillars of this conference. We emphasize the need to accelerate financing for ocean action, recognizing that without adequate accessible resources, it will not be possible to live up to the commitments assumed or close gaps in implementation of SDG 14 throughout this conference. We've discussed the catalyzing role of the banks and how to channel investment and innovative mechanisms such as debts, nature debt swaps, biodiversity credits, and articulation of various tools to ensure that so those financial flows reach those who face disproportionate challenges. We've also recognized that inclusive governance is vital. The way in which we design our institutions, attribute responsibilities, share knowledge, and marshal resources will determine whether or not we succeed. We must ensure that that governance is participative, based on science, transparent, and equitable. especially for vulnerable communities and small island developing states and coastal states. This conference not only went into depth as to understanding of the challenges involved but sought to provide inspiration and come up with concrete solutions and Thanks to the firm commitment of all of you, and I'd highlight first of all, we've had the participation, as we've seen, of more than 50 heads of state here, more than 140 delegations. Secondly, we contributed to generating significant progress with a new political momentum through the declaration on ambition for the treaty on plastic pollution. submarine noise and deep bed sea, deep seabed mining among other themes. We're also pleased that we've managed to expand the number of ratifications of the BBNJ agreement to more than 150 countries just a few hours. with just a few short of entering into force and some 30, over 30 countries have said that they would support a precautionary pause on deep seabed mining. We also held, there were more than 130 side events took place addressing innovative solutions and promoting strategic partnerships. And fifthly, there's been announcements of significant voluntary commitments including more and better measures for the protection of marine areas, which are key parts of the Nice Action Plan, together with the political declaration as some of the results of this conference. But for all of this to have a genuine impact, it is paramount that every commitment should be reported, registered and implemented. We must support the declarations with follow up mechanisms that generate trust transparency and results measurable results the call of this conference has been clear since the outset action is the time for action is now implementation cannot wait therefore looking towards you know four we must ensure that we arrive with results in hand with evidence of progress and with greater ambition. And the next conference should not repeat the pledges, but rather should be a matter of welcoming and celebrating the implementation. Recognizing all of this, allow me to thank profoundly the United Nations system and our host country and ally France for the successful hosting of this conference, which has inspired us, with respect to a common purpose, I'd like to thank in that case the Vice Presidents, the rapporteur, the co-presidents of the action panels, all those volunteers who've made it possible to hold, carry through this process with commitment and excellence. Thanks also in particular go to Ambassador Peter Thomson, Special Envoy of the Secretary General, UN Secretary General for the oceans and the force behind global efforts towards protecting the oceans. I would like, please do give him a round of applause. Concluding this plenary, I invite you to reflect as to how far we've come first. by shedding light on the challenges that the ocean faces, secondly, submitting our collective responsibility into your custody, and thirdly, in agreeing and demonstrating in principle significant action to because it's only by working together beyond borders, cultures, and sectors that we can ensure the health and resilience of our ocean. which is our common heritage. I thank you very much.

Merci, Monsieur. Thank you, Minister, with those nice commitments to the oceans, which endorse the upcoming, by 2036, should be in the run-up to the first COP. I want to declare close the fourth UN third UN ocean conference I declare this 25 meeting urgent adjourned which have in support of implementation of sdg 14 sustainable use of ocean seas and marine resources for the purposes of sustainable development the meeting is adjourned.

Thank you, congratulations.