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Mainstreaming Ocean Justice at UN Ocean Conference III

Port Lympia, Nice, the main venue of UN Ocean Conference III

During the third UN Ocean Conference from 9 to 13 June 2025 in Nice, France, Lancaster University researchers Dr Celine Germond-Duret and Dr Senia Febrica shared findings from the ‘Ocean justice and the blue economy’ research project across three side-events. The Leverhulme Trust funded project is led by Dr Germond-Duret, and participation in the event was supported by the ‘People and the Ocean’ Knowledge and Action Hub of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business.

The 2025 UN Ocean was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. The theme of the Conference “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean” was aimed to support further and urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the ocean and marine resources.

The Conference brought together varied and relevant stakeholders including governments, different United Nations bodies, international financial institutions, civil society organizations, academics, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities to assess challenges and identify further ways to implement sustainable development goal (SDG) 14 ‘Life Below Water’.

The messages shared during the three side-events are summarised in the three blog posts listed below.

Bridging Local Wisdom and Innovation for Coastal Communities Resilience

The UN Development Programme Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum led side-event ‘Bridging Local Wisdom and Innovation for Coastal Communities Resilience’ organised on 10 June 2025 explored how bridging local and traditional knowledge with scientific and technological innovation can strengthen climate resilience in coastal and island communities—while advancing sustainable ocean-based livelihoods and inclusive development.

Researchers and practitioners working on adaptation strategies in Fiji, Vanuatu, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Indonesia and UK shared findings on traditional knowledge systems, multidimensional adaptation tools, and community-driven resilience frameworks. By fostering scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange, this dialogue event aimed to advance inclusive, locally grounded, and scalable solutions that reinforce the science-policy interface for coastal communities’ resilience—a key priority of SDG 14 and the UNOC 2025 agenda.

Dr. Allanson Cruickshank, University of Malta, shared findings and experience from his research in Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to increase communities’ resilience against disasters.  Dr Cruickshank highlighted the importance of combining community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) and community-based adaptation (CBA) in response to both volcanic hazards and climate change in small island developing states (SIDS).

Prof. Shaista Shameem, Vice Chancellor, the University of Fiji stressed the role of traditional and local knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation in coastal villages of Fiji and Vanuatu. Prof Shameem recommended for traditional knowledge to be institutionalized in national and regional climate related-policies and legislation.

Dr Celine Germond-Duret and Dr Senia Febrica presentation on ‘Blue Economy and Climate Resilience’ noted that acceleration in blue economy activities has often brought injustices to ocean-dependent economies such as dispossession, displacement, pollution and waste (Germond-Duret et al., 2023; Germond-Duret et al., 2022). Based on this knowledge, Dr Germond-Duret and Dr Febrica urged stakeholders to place communities at the heart of climate-resilient blue economy pathways including in co-designing trajectories, strategies, choices and actions.

Some of the key messages highlighted by delegates at the side-event include the importance to:

  • combine community-based disaster risk reduction and community-based adaptation in response to climate hazards and disasters in small island developing states.
  • formally recognized and institutionalized traditional knowledge in national and regional climate related-policies and legislation.
  • enact law to safeguard traditional practices and knowledge
  • integrate traditional knowledge with modern science.
  • establish community-science partnerships and research to document and validate traditional knowledge alongside modern techniques
  • recognize the negative impacts of blue economy projects on coastal communities
  • place communities at the heart of climate-resilient blue economy pathways including in co-designing trajectories, strategies, choices and actions.
  • understand that while climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts are felt locally by communities
  • conduct local risks/vulnerabilities assessment to understand communities’ perception of risks posed by climate change; risks adaptation measures that have been implemented; local knowledge (e.g. related to weather, ocean currents and winds patterns); coordination gap between various entities; and types of information and capacity building initiatives needed.

The event was co-organised by the UNDP AIS in collaboration with Lancaster University and the University of Fiji.

Mobilizing youth to accelerate ocean action

Dr Celine Germond-Duret (middle) with other panel participants

Dr Celine Germond-Duret and emerging youth leaders from the Global North and the Global South together with  Minister of Environment of Chile, Hon. Maisa Rojas and Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Resources of Kiribati, Hon. Ribanataake Tiwau, along with Peace Boat and various NGO partners, emphasised the importance of cross-sector partnerships for youth engagement in research, policy, and outreach at the ‘Mobilizing Youth for Ocean and Climate Action – Harnessing Citizen Science and Capacity-Building’ side-event on 10 June in the Blue Zone of UN Ocean Conference III.

Drawing from experience and findings from her SeaSights project, Dr Celine Germond-Duret reiterated the importance of arts in connecting young people to the blue space. As she puts it: ‘any form of arts, photography, painting, sketching are important to invite young people to explore connections with the blue space, and what matters to them. Arts could serve as a bridge between young people and other stakeholders, including decision makers. Decision makers should use arts to engage young people with the ocean and ocean decision-making.’

Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Resources of Kiribati, Hon. Ribanataake Tiwau, stated ‘Nothing about them [youth], without them’. With this statement Hon. Ribanataake Tiwau called all stakeholders to mainstream the need to provide ‘critical places’ for young people in ocean processes and reaffirmed the Government of Kiribati’s commitment to support youth engagement.

Minister of Environment of Chile, Hon. Maisa Rojas, announced that the Government of Chile has incorporated young people in the country’s decision-making process related to ocean-climate change. To quote Hon. Maisa Rojas: ‘By law young people are incorporated in climate change decision, we have to consult three committees, these include youth [committee]. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs teach young people in negotiation. They are part of the negotiation delegation. We thank youth who always push us to go further…’

A youth leader, Kneyone Murray, Caribbean Director of the Blue Planet Alliance, noted that ‘We [youth] are at the table now, but not really at the table. Let’s not wonder what possible but make it a reality’.  

Paulina Slawek, Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP), echoed this concern as she highlighted that ‘Providing physical space [for youth] is not enough. We need coalition building and capacity support’.

Taylor Cargill, EarthEcho International, highlighted the pressing need to ‘make us [youth] feel supported and not feel alone’.

During discussions, delegates highlighted the importance to:

  • Integrate youth in national and global high-level ocean policy
  • Enable youth to coordinate events and provide meaningful interventions
  • Provide support and capacity building for youth to participate in negotiations as part of countries’ official delegations
  • Establish infrastructure and joint programmes to support youth in ocean-climate-biodiversity processes
  • Champion intergenerational knowledge
  • Establish youth representation across different international bodies that address ocean affairs
  • Mainstream human-rights based approaches in ocean governance to ensure that policy and decision taken do not violate human rights of young people and other ocean dependent-communities such as Indigenous People, local community, women and girls.

This multi-partners event was co-organised by Peace Boat, Permanent Mission of Kiribati to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Chile, the Greek and Dominican Republic governments, Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Ocean Rescue Alliance International (ORAI), Indian Ocean Commission, Africa Europe Foundation, PROTEUS Ocean Group, PangeaSeed Foundation, EarthEcho International, Blue Planet Alliance, Oceanic Global, Lonely Whale, CORDAP, Coral Vita, Reefline, Stop Ecocice, Lancaster University, and Segara Nusa Nawasena.