Mediterranean Leadership Reaffirmed at UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice, France, on 10 June, provided a pivotal platform for Mediterranean stakeholders to showcase their commitment to ocean sustainability. Mediterranean countries were strongly represented across political, scientific, and civil society levels, with MIO-ECSDE and several of its members actively contributing to the region’s unified voice.

Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica under the theme “Scaling Up Ocean Action Based on Science and Innovation for the Implementation of Goal 14,” the summit gathered more than 60 Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and over 10,000 global actors committed to safeguarding the ocean, making the event “the largest ocean summit ever”.

Mediterranean Day & Ministers’ Declaration

At the Mediterranean Day event, co-organized by UNEP/MAP, the “Declaration of the Ministers of the Mediterranean” was adopted. The event was organised to commemorate 50 years of the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan and 30 years since the post-Rio amendment of the Barcelona Convention.

The declaration reaffirmed regional determination to:

• Promote the WEFE Nexus approach as a cross-sectoral planning tool,
• Accelerate actions to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution,
• Advance nature-based solutions and science-informed marine governance.

The declaration also underscores the impact of unsustainable tourism on natural resources in the Mediterranean and reaffirms the Ministers’ commitment to the 2021 Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE). In fact, a dedicated UfM-led high-level segment of the Mediterranean Day titled “Charting the path towards SBE: the Mediterranean leading the way”, spotlighted the Mediterranean as a global frontrunner in advancing a sustainable blue economy, delivering real progress in environmental protection, climate resilience, social equity, and sustainable growth.

Backed by countries such as Greece, France, and Morocco, the “Declaration of the Ministers of the Mediterranean” further positioned the Mediterranean as spearheading integrated ocean governance. Prof. Scoullos, a long-standing advocate of these integrated approaches through MIO‑ECSDE, strongly endorsed the call for holistic, cross-sectoral policies.

Side Event: Scaling Up Solutions for a Plastic‑Free Mediterranean

Prof. Scoullos coordinated the high-level side event “Scaling Up Solutions for a Plastic‑Free Mediterranean” with key note addresses from H.E. Ms Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea and Fisheries of France and H.E. Ms Yasmine Fouad, Minister of the Environment for Egypt. The panel featured distinguished regional and international speakers. Co‑organized by France, Greece, the European Commission, and leading scientific bodies, the session showcased best practices—including sustainable production models, improved waste tracking and source-to-sea approaches.

MIO-ECSDE echoed these messages, drawing on its long-standing work to prevent marine litter pollution, improve monitoring, mobilize local communities and push for stronger policies to align Mediterranean efforts with the upcoming global plastics treaty. Key takeaways included:

• Stronger monitoring frameworks and harmonized regional targets in support of the upcoming global plastics treaty;
• Greater investment in repair and reuse systems and sustainable alternatives to plastics;
• Support for education, awareness, and community-based actions, including community-based research.

Media Engagement and Policy Advocacy for Global, Regional and Domestic Dimensions

On the occasion of the conference, Prof. Michael Scoullos, participated the week following UNOC3, in a televised panel on Hellenic Parliament TV, offering a comprehensive analysis of water and ocean policy challenges. He stressed the urgency of shifting from siloed to nexus-informed governance, strongly advocated to strengthen scientific infrastructure—including the deployment of new Greek oceanographic vessels and incentivizing the voluntary engagement of commercial ships in scientific data collection. He also emphasized the importance of Source-to-Sea approaches and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Prof. Scoullos’ intervention aligned with the overarching goals of the summit and provided clarity on how regional strategies, particularly in the Mediterranean with the valuable work of UNEP/MAP, the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD), and the Mediterranean Committee on Educational for Sustainable Development (MCESD), can operationalize SDG 14, and other related SDGs, through collaborative, science-based policies.

Watch the full interview below:

 

Main Outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference

UNOC-3 concluded with the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, which prioritizes:

• Protection and restoration of marine biodiversity;
• Science and innovation in marine pollution monitoring and mitigation;
• Enhanced international cooperation on marine data sharing and funding mechanisms.

A key moment for ocean diplomacy at the global level was the renewed momentum to implement the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction). MIO-ECSDE recognizes this as a historic step in protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national boundaries—directly relevant for the Mediterranean, where ecological connectivity and joint governance remain vital.

For the Mediterranean, the summit reinforced the need for concrete, measurable actions across borders, with an emphasis on building local capacities and bridging science-policy gaps. With the momentum built in Nice, MIO-ECSDE will remain an active force in ensuring the Mediterranean leads by example in ocean and coastal sustainability.

For more information you can read the Conference’s Outcome Document (A/CONF.230/2025/L.1).