Overview
- The third UN Conference on the Oceans opened in Nice on June 9 to accelerate implementation of the 2023 Global Ocean Treaty and expand marine protected areas.
- French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until robust environmental safeguards are established.
- The European Union pledged €40 million to the UN’s Global Ocean Program and urged nations to ratify the treaty without delay.
- Conference organizers anticipate surpassing the 60-country threshold needed for the Global Ocean Treaty to enter into force.
- Spain announced plans to broaden its network of marine protected areas toward the goal of safeguarding 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030.