UN ocean conference kicks off in France

NICE, France - The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) opened on Monday in Nice, a coastal city in southern France, under the theme of "Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean".

The UNOC3, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, brings together delegations from UN member states' governments, as well as stakeholders from international organizations, the research community, civil society, and the private sector to discuss global ocean governance.

The aim of the UNOC3 is to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14) -- "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources" -- with emphasis on three priorities: working towards the successful completion of ocean-related multilateral processes to raise the level of ambition for ocean protection; mobilizing funding for SDG14 and supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy; and strengthening and better disseminating marine science knowledge for improved policy-making.

Speaking at the opening session, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the ocean is "the ultimate shared resource, but we are failing it". Protecting the ocean requires multilateralism and increased investment by nations, given that SDG14 remains one of the least well-funded Sustainable Development Goals, said the UN chief.

The conference, featuring ten plenary sessions and ten "Ocean Action Panels", is scheduled to close on Friday.