Blog by Pascale Muylaert, SI Representative the the United Nations in Geneva
‘Women leadership matters! For example : 493 million people depend on small scale fishing, and half of them are women. We need to include women!’
(Astrid Puentes Riano, Special Rapporteur on the Right for a Healthy and Sustainable Environment)
I left the UN Ocean Conference with a much deeper understanding of the importance of the Ocean as one biome, covering 70% of earth where lack of regulation is leading to pollution and Climate Change.
However, the Ocean also holds solutions – and here Women leadership and empowerment is essential.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Presidents Emmanuel Macron (FR) and Rodrigo Chaves Robles (Costa Rica) opened the conference recognising the big challenges. USA was absent but more than 60 Heads of State and Government attended : 92% of the Ocean’s ‘co-owners’ were there – and got on with it.
Commitments Made
In a wave of global commitments towards protecting our oceans, several countries and organisations have recently announced significant measures to safeguard marine ecosystems. The European Commission pledged €1 billion to advance ocean conservation, scientific research, and sustainable fishing, while French Polynesia is set to establish the world’s largest marine protected area.
Germany has committed €100 million to clear underwater munitions from the Baltic and North Seas, and New Zealand will invest $52 million to strengthen ocean governance across the Pacific. Spain has designated five new marine protected areas, and the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean—an alliance of 37 countries led by Panama and Canada—has vowed to tackle the growing issue of underwater noise pollution.
Meanwhile, Indonesia and the World Bank have launched a pioneering ‘Coral Bond’ to finance reef conservation. In a major step forward for international cooperation, 19 additional countries have ratified the High Seas Treaty, bringing the total to 50 of the 60 ratifications needed for the landmark 2023 agreement to come into force.
The Outcome document (UNOC3-declaration-final.pdf ) calls to expand marine protection, curb pollution, regulate the high seas, and unlock financing for vulnerable coastal and island nations.
However, stronger language on loss and damage (harm from climate change beyond what people can adapt to), and a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters were absent.
Key Takeaways:
The Ocean is the Blue Amazon :
It generates 50% of the oxygen we need, absorbs 30 % of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 % of the excess heat generated by emissions. And it recycles nutrients, has high biodiversity, and maintains the balance in environmental, social and economic systems that depend on it.
But, like the Amazon, it faces increasing threats and degradation from human activities and climate change.
The Ocean is our shared heritage and responsibility:
The Ocean is where life started. 4/5 of all countries have a coastline. Oceans provide for 3 billion people.
Secretary-General António Guterres: ‘Oceans are the ultimate global commons.
But we are looting it!’
Despite its importance, there is little regulation – leaving this vast area vulnerable to pollution and mindless exploitation. And SDG 14 – Life below water- is the least funded SDG…
President Robles of Costa Rica: ‘We have treated oceans as our food store and our waste dump – in 25 years there will be more plastic than fish in the seas’.
Women’s participation was high but I missed visible leadership – we need to speak up, and act more !
Participants were diverse, and many women spoke at side events. But it took 2.5 hours before the Plenary mentioned Women’s rights. The Special Rapporteur on the Right to a Healthy Environment touched on the lack of women’s empowerment in her speech at the Side Event ‘Our Oceans, Our Rights : Centring Human Rights and communities in achieving SDG14’. Listen to her impassioned speech here
Only 3 out of 450 side events had women as core subject. Documents mention women as “vulnerable people” – this is correct, but tokenism does not lead to change. We need to speak up more, claim our leadership to make a real difference towards a better, healthier and more sustainable environment.
Call to Action
DO
Help protect the ocean by preventing pollution from land—reduce sewage, fertilisers, and harmful run-off. Refuse plastic packaging, single-use products, and fast fashion to cut plastic waste. Be mindful of the fish you eat: 35% of global fish stocks are harvested unsustainably, and 1 in 5 fish consumed comes from illegal fishing. Use tools like the Good Fish Guide to make informed choices.
Advocate
Ask your government to sign the High Seas Treaty if they haven’t yet. Support the Plastics Treaty negotiations by signing petitions or contacting representatives. Urge supermarkets to drop unnecessary plastic packaging and back efforts to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. Learn about the Great Blue Wall, which restores critical ecosystems like mangroves and corals while building a regenerative blue economy. Support organisations fighting for women’s roles in ocean economies to be recognised.
Educate
Stay informed and share knowledge. Read the Special Rapporteur’s report on oceans and human rights. Watch David Attenborough’s ocean film and explore local ocean literacy projects, such as Europe’s Network of Blue Schools. What’s happening in your area? Share it with others.
