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The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice from 9 to 13 June 2025, brought together over 15,000 representatives from governments, the scientific community, businesses, and civil society, across 193 countries, to define common strategies for ocean protection. Among the foundations accredited by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and attending the conference was the MEDSEA Foundation, bringing with it the concrete experience gained through more than ten years of work in the Mediterranean.

The MEDSEA delegation — composed of Piera Pala (President), Francesca Frau (marine biologist and Head of the Marine Unit), and Giulia Eremita (Head of Communications) — actively participated in numerous formal and informal sessions, contributing with vision and expertise to discussions on key topics such as underwater habitat restoration, marine sustainability education, and the role of coastal communities in environmental governance.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a shared document collecting the voluntary commitments of countries and organizations to accelerate ocean protection. Among the key announcements:

● The European Commission pledged €1 billion to support conservation, science, and sustainable fishing projects;

● French Polynesia announced plans to create the largest marine protected area in the world, covering approximately 5 million km²;

● Germany launched a €100 million plan to clear underwater munitions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea;

● Italy allocated €6.5 million to strengthen surveillance in marine protected areas and to prevent spills from offshore platforms, including through real-time satellite monitoring systems.

One of the most significant milestones of the conference was the progress made on the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) — the new international agreement adopted in 2023 to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, i.e., the high seas. A traditionally underregulated space, the high seas have long been exploited without limits by powerful economic actors. During UNOC3, 19 additional countries ratified the treaty, bringing the total to 50 ratifications, plus the European Union. Sixty ratifications are needed for the treaty to enter into force.

Another crucial development was the Nice Call for Action, endorsed by 95 countries, which calls for a legally binding global treaty to combat plastic pollution. The proposed measures include reducing virgin plastic production at the source, phasing out harmful products and substances (such as PFAS and microplastics), and creating a global fund to support vulnerable countries in implementing the treaty.

Within this multilateral context, the priorities that emerged from UNOC3 are strongly aligned with the approach and activities carried out by MEDSEA in the Mediterranean. Campaigns for the restoration of Posidonia oceanica meadows (see the Campaign A Sea Forest To Save the Planet), citizen science projects (such as the recent Impelaghiamoci), and integrated coastal management strategies (as developed in Blue4All) reflect many of the actions now considered essential at the international level. These initiatives demonstrate that protecting the sea requires a systemic vision, local community engagement, and science-based interventions — efforts that are already being implemented at a local scale but could be replicated elsewhere.

UNOC3 served not only as a space for international dialogue, but also as a platform to strengthen alliances and accelerate action, from the Mediterranean to the oceans of the world. And MEDSEA Foundation was there, ready to do its part