THE French government on Wednesday urged Nigeria and private sector operators to protect the ocean as humans and creatures depend on it for their livelihood.
Mr Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, the French Ambassador-at-large for the Oceans, made the call during a web-based news conference, which was part of a build-up for the 3rd United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
The UNOC3 will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica from June 9 to 13, 2025, in Nice in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
D’Arvor described the ocean as home to a lot of creatures, with many people depending on it for their livelihood.
According to him, the conference is aimed at accelerating the implementation of policies for the protection and sustainable development of the ocean and placing it on the international agenda.
He added that in line with the conference, a vital role would be addressing the climate, environmental, and social challenges of the 21st century.
The envoy said that the event was an action-oriented conference that seeks to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) on the marine environment.
He added that Goal 14 on the SDGs list was the least funded, and the conference would be prioritising three objectives to produce an ambitious draft agreement.
According to him, the priority is working towards the completion of multilateral processes linked to the oceans, to boost ambition for their protection.
“To mobilise sources of finance to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, SDG 14, and to support the development of a sustainable blue economy.
“Then, strengthening and better disseminating knowledge linked to marine science to enhance policy-making,” he said.
NAN recalls that in March of this year, in a high-level event held in Costa Rica, President Emmanuel Macron said that protecting the oceans means protecting an immense carbon sink and an unimaginable biodiversity reserve.
“It also means giving hope to all those whose lives depend on our oceans, and to those who will have to face rising sea levels.
“It means together reinventing the blue economy, as it must never be forgotten that the sea is first and foremost a source of income, Jobs, food, and innovation for people around the world.
“In 2015, we managed to inscribe this ambition in a universal UN framework and thanks to the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2025, in the same vein, the conference in Nice will be foundational for ocean governance.
“The Nice Ocean Agreements will provide a framework in which the scientific community will gather to inform and guide the climate action of Heads of State and Government,” he said.
He added that the UN ocean conference should become the forum for states and the private sector to invest together to reinvent the ocean economy.
Speaking during the conference, Gabrielle Rousseau, Climate and Development Advisor to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said that the ocean was not in a good state, adding that to achieve the objectives, 70 heads of state and over 2,000 scientists will be attending the conference.
She urged every country to contribute in their capacity to fight the challenges and find a sustainable solution that works for them in securing the oceans.
“The ocean is everyone’s business, and much is not said on climate and food, among other things, to address the dangers of actions that need to be taken, she said.
The ocean is one of Earth’s most valuable natural resources. It provides food in the form of fish and shellfish.
About 2 billion pounds worth of seafood is caught in the ocean each year.
The ocean also plays a critical role in removing carbon from the atmosphere and providing oxygen.
It also regulates Earth’s climate.
