CIIMAR at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025

CIIMAR is present at the third United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Nice between 9 and 13 June 2025. Our presence aims to foster our network with all stakeholders working in ocean knowledge and innovation. In addition we aim to  join UN member states to raise awareness and boost public policy towards ocean protection, marine science and development of a sustainable blue economy.

UNOC3 is centering its efforts on driving forward action and engaging all stakeholders in the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean. The conference aims to advance the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14) through three core priorities, ultimately shaping an ambitious Nice Ocean Action Plan:

• Work towards the successful completion of ocean-related multilateral processes to raise the level of ambition for ocean protection.
• Mobilizing funding for SDG14 and supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy.
• Strengthen and better disseminate marine science knowledge for better policy-making.

The CIIMAR delegation includes Susana Moreira, Gary Kett, and Isabel Sousa Pinto. The delegation highlighted CIIMAR excellence in observational data acquisition, management and transfer, innovative solutions to address challenges such as plastic pollution, and engagement of stakeholders, networks, and early career researchers advancing marine knowledge, innovation and capacity for global challenges.

Details of CIIMAR’s participation at UNOC:

• 9^th June: “Launching Coalition of Emerging Ocean Leaders (CEOL): A Manifesto for Ocean Sustainability”
  As lead organizer and moderator, Gary Kett facilitated panel discussions on CEOL’s vision, goals, strategies, and sustainable financing, and the Citizen of the Ocean manifesto’s value-driven commitments, demands and calls to action. Supported by Ireland, Germany, Bahia (Brazil), and a keynote from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment. Link: https://we-are-the-ocean.com/program/12994

• 10^th June: “Mobilizing Youth & Early Career Ocean Professionals(ECOPs): Showcasing Initiatives for Ocean Action”
  Co-organised between CEOL, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and US Peace Boat, alongside several governmental and NGO organisations, this session highlighted multi-stakeholder collaborations, programmes for SIDS youth and international collaboration initiatives from CEOL, government of Kiribati, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and Chile. https://peaceboat.org/english/news/unoc3_sideevent_kiribati_youth

• 12^th June: “Regional Services as a Building Block of Global Ocean Data Sharing”
  Isabel Sousa Pinto participated as panellist in this high-level workshop, organised by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’s Decade Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). This event aimed to demonstrate the crucial role of regional marine data services in delivering Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) ocean data and data products to support society’s need for marine knowledge. Link: https://www.digitaloceanpavilion.eu/content/the-eu-the-marine-observing-infrastructure

• 12^th June: “Storming the Whale”
  As an invited panellist, Gary Kett co-presented the Citizen of the Ocean manifesto to UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson and France’s Minister for the Environment Agnès Pannier-Runacher, highlighting the manifestos demand for increased facilitation and funding of transdisciplinary ocean science and knowledge co-creation. Link: https://shorturl.at/naDN1

• 9^th-13^th: “Morning Tides: Your Daily UNOC Youth Briefings”
  As co-organiser of the event series and moderator for the Tuesday 10^th session, Gary Kett equipped ECOPs with guidance and strategies to navigate UNOC policy debates, understanding and leveraging major announcements, and securing roles in official events. Link: https://we-are-the-ocean.com/program/9077