NICE, FRANCE, 11 June — Sustainable blue economy development and innovative, accessible climate financing are key to an equitable world, speakers from shores around the world — from the Pacific to the Atlantic, from the Caribbean to the Caspian, from the Baltic Sea to the Arabian Sea, from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea — underscored today at the United Nations Ocean Conference.

The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 — to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources entered its third day today.  Delegates continued to address the theme for the week:  “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.

Speakers from several developing countries highlighted the importance of “ocean justice” in developing blue economies as well as in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss — some of them drew attention to innovative debt-for-nature swaps.

As an African coastal country with rich marine resources, Equatorial Guinea is aware that the ocean has no borders, its delegate said.  The national blue economy plan aims to strike a balance between development and marine conservation.  Global warming and illegal fishing are affecting food sovereignty in West Africa, he pointed out.  He called for more technology transfer, access to climate funds and decision-making power for countries from the Global South.  “Africa does not just want to be the recipient of great speeches”, he said, appealing for climate justice.

From the other side of the continent, Kenya’s delegate called on the international community to invest in blue carbon and blue bonds.  His country is committed to “optimizing the dual benefits of growth and conservation”, he said, pointing to the Government’s investments in fisheries, maritime transport and tourism.  Kenya banned single-use plastic in 2017 and is championing the adoption of a global plastics treaty, he added.

“In El Salvador, the ocean is more than an environmental concern — it is a core economic resource”, said its representative, as he, too, called for greater access to data, technology transfer and transparent financial cooperation.  Development must be self-determined and financial mechanisms must reflect that reality. “Many of the actors represented here — and you know who you are — grew wealthy by polluting our planet”, he said, imploring:  “Take responsibility, act justly and honour your commitments.”

Tunisia’s delegate said:  “Some of us are still in denial about scientific facts.” The international community must work together based on common but differentiated responsibilities.  Noting the upcoming Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville, Spain, he said it is crucial to provide developing countries with the resources they need for the sustainable management of oceans and seas.

Guatemala’s delegate also echoed the call for blue financing and green technology transfers.  His country’s 300 kilometres of Caribbean and Pacific coastline supports many fisheries as well as tourist and port activities.  Expressing great alarm at the increase in acidification, overfishing and pollution, he said that illegal and unreported fishing is not only threatening ecosystems and fish populations, it is affecting food security in developing countries.

An example of creative financing for environmental protection came from Ecuador’s representative.  Her country, in collaboration with Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, was able to create the largest transborder oceanic reserve, namely the marine corridor of East Tropic.  That reserve is financed through conversion of debt, she said, adding that millions of dollars in foreign debt was transformed into sustainable financing.  The reserve includes the iconic Galapagos reserve, created in 1998, as well as the Hermandad reserve, created in 2022.

Also striking a note of hope, Azerbaijan’s delegate pointed to how the international community was able to overcome uncertainty and mistrust at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference, held in her country.  As a result, it mobilized $300 billion annually by 2035 for developing countries, operationalized article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change after a decade-long impasse and launched the loss and damage fund to support front-line communities.  “Now, we must bring that same determination to ocean protection here in Nice”, she said.

Treaties on climate, biodiversity and marine security must align rather than compete, said the representative of Fiji.  His country is progressing towards the sustainable management of 100 per cent of its ocean.  Fiji is also developing ocean-accounting frameworks to measure the economic and environment values of the marine ecosystem.  “Climate finance must reach those on the front lines through truly innovative finance frameworks”, he said.

Some of the most pressing statements came from other representatives of small island developing States.  “The Caribbean does not enjoy the luxury of sitting idly by”, underscored the representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis.  The ocean crisis “will not be solved in plenary rooms” but on the ground, she said, highlighting the work of non-governmental organizations and youth and women leaders.  She called for urgent ratification of the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction.  Also calling for an ambitious plastics agreement, she pointed out that the Plastic Waste Reduction Bill of 2025 passed unanimously in her country’s parliament.  “We know that global climate finance neither reaches the scale nor the people it should reach”, she said, calling for localizing ocean finance.

In a few months, Nauru’s delegate said, his country will lose eligibility for official development assistance (ODA), “because distant spreadsheets deem us self-sufficient, overlooking our fragility, isolation and reliance on external aid”.  Nauru is the fifth most vulnerable country globally according to the multidimensional vulnerability index which assesses the vulnerability of countries to external shocks like climate change, economic instability and natural hazards.  He stressed that ocean finance initiatives must integrate that index to ensure financing reaches those who need it most.

The representative of São Tomé and Príncipe noted that her country’s maritime area is 160 times larger than its land area.  The development of a blue economy is integral to its future, she said, stressing that it is committed to closely linking such development with climate change adaptation.  Its investments in sustainable fisheries, responsible coastal tourism and marine renewable energy support the local economy while also protecting fragile ecosystems.

“Seychelles has strived to lead the way by piloting solutions for the ocean”, said its representative, noting that his country has designated 30 per cent of its exclusive economic zones as protected area in the world’s first debt restructuring in exchange for marine protection.  Seychelles also issued the world’s first sovereign blue bonds; it is also the first African country and fourth in the world to ratify the high seas treaty. “We understand that what lies beyond national jurisdiction is just as essential to our planet’s health as what lies within our borders”, he emphasized. 

Bolivia’s delegate, who spoke on behalf of landlocked developing countries, noted that the cascading effect of climate change and shifting precipitation patterns affects countries that have no direct access to the sea.  She stressed that the international community must enable such countries to also benefit from the blue economy.  In her national capacity, she added that Bolivia has no access to the Pacific Ocean, due to Chile’s military occupation of its territories in 1979, and not due to its natural geographic position, as recognized by the International Court of Justice.  That Court invited both parties to maintain dialogue on this, she said.

Other speakers noted the impact of conflict on their environments.  The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlighted the establishment of “green” ports — these will anticipate rising sea levels, she said, also pointing to her country’s “Clean River, Living Ocean” initiative.  However, implementing these projects requires stability, she said, appealing to the world’s conscience for the return of lasting peace in the Great Lakes region.  “This is imperative for the good of communities, peoples, forests, oceans and nature as a whole”, she said, because the armed conflicts that have lasted for more than three decades in the African region are resulting in an environmental “ecocide”.

“Our top priority must be to protect the environment and marine ecosystems and that starts with restoring peace to the region”, said Ukraine’s delegate, adding:  “But peace will only be possible when Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine.”  In December 2024 in the Kerch Strait, two Russian Federation tankers spilled a large quantity of fuel oil into the Black Sea.  A film of oil on the water surface disrupted oxygen exchange, while toxic substances settled on the seabed.  This long-term pollution continues to affect fish stocks, food chains and water quality, he warned.

Pakistan’s delegate said the ecosystem of the Arabian Sea and the shared resources of the region and its people are facing a grave threat not only from marine degradation but also due to “unilateral measures taken by one country in our neighbourhood to disrupt and destabilize long-standing cooperative water-sharing agreements and arrangements”.  She opposed attempts to weaponize water, dominate maritime spaces and destabilize long-standing cooperative water-sharing arrangements.

Estonia’s delegate recalled French writer Jean Cocteau, who found endless inspiration in the sea, and Estonian writer Jaan Kross who saw the sea as a unifying force across ages and generations. “Between Cocteau’s sunlit Mediterranean and Kross’s wind-swept northern shores, the sea emerges as a connecting power that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries”, she said.  Since the world’s oceans form one interconnected system, global cooperation is the only effective way forward, she reminded delegates.