French President Emmanuel Macron addresses world leaders at the UN Ocean Summit in Nice. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Nice, France (EPICSTORIAN) — French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the UN ocean summit in Nice on Monday, urging global leaders to ratify the High Seas Treaty and impose a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
“The deep seas, Greenland and Antarctica are not for sale,” Macron declared, calling for swift multilateral mobilization.
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Macron denounced deep-sea mining as “madness,” supported by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Only 2.7% of the ocean is currently protected, highlighting the urgency of the summit.
The summit is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, running from June 9–13 in Nice.
UN Ocean Summit Launches with High Seas Treaty Ratification Push
The UN ocean summit opened amid growing concerns about marine biodiversity loss and climate change. Macron emphasized that multilateralism must underpin global ocean governance, linking treaty ratification to efforts against plastic pollution, warming seas, and fossil-fuel driven acidification.
France and Costa Rica are co-hosting the third UN Ocean Conference, uniting countries under SDG‑14 to protect marine ecosystems.
Moratorium on Deep-Sea Mining at Center Stage
President Macron called for an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining, warning that it would wreak havoc on untouched seabed ecosystems. UN Secretary-General Guterres echoed this, warning against turning the deep ocean into a lawless frontier.
Treaty Ratification Race: 60 to Go
The High Seas Treaty, or BBNJ Agreement, needs 60 ratifications to take effect. As of the summit’s start, 50 have been submitted, with 15 more committed.
Once ratified, the treaty will enter into force after 120 days, enabling the creation of protected areas across international waters.
Accelerating Global Marine Protection and Climate Action
The summit also spotlighted the 30×30 pledge—protecting 30% of oceans by 2030—and initiatives to curb plastic pollution, regulate fishing subsidies, and ramp up blue finance.
Despite France’s claims of reaching 30% marine protection, only 3% of its waters are strongly protected. Countries including Australia unveiled new marine conservation commitments.
What Comes Next After the UN Ocean Summit?
If the treaty crosses the 60-ratification threshold, enforcement begins 120 days later. Summit delegates aim to turn Nice’s declarations into concrete commitments, backed by the upcoming Nice Ocean Action Plan for future governance.
