Climate Change and Energy

14 June 2025, NIICE Commentary 11262 Dr Chander Shekhar The Third United Nations Ocean Conference, or UNOC3, has been organized in the Southern city of France, Nice, which, historically, is famous for its culture, tourist spots, and coastline attraction under the theme of “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”. The conference was held between 9 and 13 June 2025, co-chaired by France and Costa-Rica, which has taken place at a time when oceans have faced multiplex challenges, such as climate change, diminishing coastal community due to sea level rise, natural disasters, loss of biodiversity from human and state activities, pollution from ships etc. The event was attended by diverse entities, including heads of state, scientists, civil society organizations, etc. However, among others, the absence of the United States, a major power, was felt under the Trump presidency, which was also most anticipated, which, though it raises critical questions of its future commitments, did not affect the effectiveness of the UNOC3, a multilateral mechanism. It deliberated issues concerning the ocean's wellbeing and built a future course of action.  Multilateralism: An Attempt for a Common Challenge The United Nations Ocean Conference is a platform shared by various countries. It is the UN-led initiative that began its journey in 2017, which seeks to protect and preserve the ocean and its resources from depletion. The oceans provide food, livelihood, a medium of transport for goods and services, and so on. Its safety and security have become a priority for the international community. Issues faced by oceans are wide, have global implications, and they to be dealt with by a joint approach. The attempt at multilateralism in the form of UNOC is a historic start. What drives states to this grand congregation? This was aptly underlined by the UN Secretary General, Mr. Guterres, who stated that given “Greed driving oceans towards collapse, we need to save the ocean, to save our future”, for which he presented four actions plans: transform ocean harvesting, deal with plastic pollution, fight climate change at sea and enforce the high seas treaty to protect biodiversity. This can only be done by taking a shared responsibility, not distancing from it. Greed as an enemy shall be defeated by the collective alliance of states to achieve sustainable goals. The UNOC3 presents this vision to achieve sustainable use of oceans.   Moreover, during the conference, the implementation of the High Seas Treaty by January 2026, which was adopted in 2023, is a milestone moment and achievement, with 55 countries’ ratification completed. As a result, it would regulate around two-thirds of the water globally that was not regulated before, and allow countries to build “marine parks” in international waters as well.  Anticipated American Absence American President Donald Trump began his first day in the White House by signing an executive order to withdraw from various multilateral arrangements, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement. Trump says the Paris accord does not reflect the values and interests of Americans. The absence of the United States under Trump was completely forecasted. However, interestingly, the former Secretary of State and Biden Administration’s special climate envoy, John Kerry, attended the conference, wherein he stated that “our oceans are in crisis, this is the chance for the world to act”. The democrats' position in foreign policy at the onset has been to lead the organizations from the front.  Although the Paris Climate Agreement was a historic consensus built in the fight against global warming. Under this agreement, it was agreed among parties “to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels” and achieve it “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels”. The UNOC3 is not losing Credibility  This ocean conference is significant as far as the ocean health and well-being are concerned. Its credibility lies in its gathering and commitments made by countries. Several other countries did not join it. The United States is no exception. It is estimated that fifty-five heads of state and governments, along with business leaders, etc, have participated in the conference. The President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, as a co-chair, notes that “this summit must be remembered as the time when the world understood that looking after the ocean is not simply an option, but it is a moral, economic, and indeed, we need minimum protection.” It can also be an action-oriented platform that fights against challenges faced by the oceans. According to Johny Carry, the UNOC is itself, and can present a model and reassurance that the institutions built after World War II could be as relevant today, and other nations can seize this opportunity, like France, which has the largest exclusive economic zone in the world.  During the conference, the Plastic treaty, which is known as “Nice Wake-up Call”, has been supported by around 100 countries during the UNOC3. The Indian delegation also endorsed a legally binding Plastic treaty for a shared future. The French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnes Pannier, stated that “We need comprehensive measures covering the full lifecycle of plastic. We must reduce the production and consumption of plastics, which is harmful to living beings in the ocean. Reports tell that plastic waste consists of more than 80% of all marine pollution, and every year, 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean. As a result, plastic would outweigh ocean living beings, namely fish, by 2050 if not prevented.  Conclusion  The Ocean Conference is a successful attempt to mobilize actors to deliberate on the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean resources. It also showcases that protectionism and isolationist policies cannot be the answer to the interconnected ocean problems. Whether it is the intent to implement and regulate the High Seas Treaty or reduce the consumption and production of plastic, these efforts show the strength of multilateral mechanisms. Trump’s inward-looking policy and distancing from social responsibility present national interests and opens doors for the other actors to lead, and setting a ground to build a multipolar world order.  Dr Chander Shekhar is a Researcher and Author at the Centre for International Politics, Organizations and Disarmament, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India ...

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