UN Chief Calls for Urgent Action to Save Oceans at France-Costa Rica Conference
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful plea for global ocean protection during the opening of the UN Ocean Conference co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.
Speaking from Nice, the Secretary-General highlighted the ocean’s critical role in sustaining life and global economies while warning of escalating threats like plastic pollution, collapsing fish stocks, and rising sea levels.
“Our oceans produce half the oxygen we breathe and feed billions, yet we are plundering this vital shared resource,” Guterres told attendees, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles.
He emphasized the Mediterranean’s symbolic role, calling it a “crossroads of continents, cultures, and commerce” while noting that 23 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually, choking marine ecosystems.
Guterres hailed recent progress, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the agreement on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Still, he called on countries to accelerate ratification efforts and adopt a binding treaty on plastic pollution this year.
“Our ocean is both a victim and an accelerator of climate change,” Guterres warned, underscoring the need to align national plans with global goals, empower coastal communities, and invest boldly in ocean health.
“Without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet,” he concluded, urging delegates to replace “plunder with protection” and secure the ocean as a legacy for future generations.
