Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — From 9 to 13 June, France will host the third United Nations Ocean Conference, a landmark event that will bring together around one hundred heads of state and government, along with tens of thousands of participants in Nice—including researchers, scientists, business leaders, civil society activists, and global citizens. France is set to take a firm stand at the conference, calling for the protection of the world’s oceans through concrete action.

The ocean is our shared heritage. It nourishes and protects us. It captivates and enables exploration. It supplies resources and renewable energy, facilitates trade, and expands scientific understanding.

Yet, despite the fact that the lives of one in three people on Earth depend on the ocean, it is now in grave danger. This vast space remains largely unexplored, lacks a global governance framework, and suffers from insufficient funding for its protection. The statistics are alarming: according to a study published in Science magazine, more than 8 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year. On top of this come the overexploitation of marine life—affecting more than a third of global fish stocks—acidification of marine environments, rising sea levels, and the destruction of marine ecosystems. These phenomena are accelerating and are direct consequences of climate change.

It is time to act. More than ever, multilateral action must rise to meet the scale of the challenges facing ocean protection.

A decade after COP21 and the signing of the Paris Agreement, which laid the legal foundation for limiting global warming, the third UN Ocean Conference offers a historic opportunity. The Nice Agreements are expected to lay the groundwork for a genuine international pact on the protection and sustainable use of the world’s oceans. This pact will be directly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN in 2015.

To achieve this, discussions in Nice must be focused and action-oriented—especially in the areas of improved governance, increased financing, and enhanced ocean research.

In terms of governance, a key instrument is the High Seas Treaty. Today, the high seas—covering more than 60% of the world’s oceans—remain the only area beyond the reach of enforceable international law. The lack of oversight and common rules has led to a genuine social and environmental disaster: massive pollution from hydrocarbons and plastics, illegal and unregulated fishing practices, and the extraction of protected marine species. Closing these legal gaps requires the ratification of the High Seas Treaty by at least 60 countries, enabling it to enter into force.

Protecting the oceans also demands mobilizing both public and private financial resources, and supporting a sustainable blue economy.

If we want to continue benefiting from the exceptional economic opportunities offered by the ocean, we must commit to restoring its resources. In this regard, the conference in Nice will feature announcements of new commitments in areas such as international trade, maritime transport, tourism, and investment.

But how can we protect what we do not know or understand well enough? Expanding and disseminating knowledge of the ocean is essential. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the Moon and Mars in great detail, yet we still possess limited information about the ocean’s depths, which cover 70% of the Earth’s surface. We must collectively mobilize scientific research, innovation, and education to deepen our understanding of the ocean and engage the global public.

In a world marked by accelerating climate change and unsustainable marine resource exploitation, ocean protection cannot be a secondary concern. It affects all of us. While multilateralism is being redefined, our shared responsibility must not be eclipsed. The ocean connects us all—our future depends on it. Through joint action, we can ensure that the third UN Ocean Conference becomes a true turning point—for our nations, for future generations, and for the planet as a whole.