World leaders open UN Ocean Conference with calls to protect seas, back moratorium on deep‑sea mining and new science initiatives

French President Emmanuel Macron opened the United Nations Conference to support implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 in Nice and urged rapid action to protect oceans, calling for stronger protection, science‑based mapping of sensitive seabed areas and a halt to predatory deep‑sea mining.

Macron said the conference represented “a victory” that was nevertheless “fragile,” and outlined several science and cooperation initiatives he said France would back, including a starfish barometer and an ocean health indicator, a new ocean spatial mission called Corsair and an international Neptune ocean exploration mission planned to begin in 2026. “The ocean is not for sale,” Macron said, adding that states should map and highly protect sensitive ecosystems such as canyons and restrict activities including deep‑sea trawling and mining in those areas.

Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, co‑president of the conference, reiterated the call for a precautionary suspension — a moratorium — on commercial seabed mining in international areas until sufficient science is available, and described Costa Rica’s domestic measures including a Blue Fund and a marine ecosystem payments system. “We are declaring peace with the ocean,” Chaves Robles said, and urged countries to back protection measures and finance for coastal communities and small‑scale fishers.

U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres urged delegates to translate existing agreements into action, including ratification of the agreement on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and negotiation of a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. “Without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet,” Guterres told the plenary, and he highlighted the limited financing for SDG 14 and the need to mobilize both public and private capital.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Brazil would submit seven voluntary commitments at the conference, including expanding marine protected areas and advancing maritime spatial planning and sustainable fishing, and described domestic education and monitoring initiatives tied to ocean stewardship.

A representative of the European Union announced a contribution to ocean‑related programs and presented a demonstration version of a “digital twin” of the ocean intended to improve ocean observation, research and policymaking; the EU said it would contribute to bringing the BBNJ agreement into force by accelerating ratification and backing a global ocean program.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the conference as a test of whether political rhetoric will be matched by concrete, funded action on a suite of interlinked problems — climate impacts on the ocean, biodiversity loss, pollution, illegal fishing and rising seas that affect billions. Several leaders used the opening to press for rapid ratification of international agreements, more financing for ocean action and a pause on commercial deep‑sea mining until more science is available.

Discussion vs. formal action: The morning’s statements were political interventions and announcements of intended national commitments or international initiatives. Delegations and leaders described proposed or pledged actions (new missions, funds, voluntary commitments, digital tools) but the plenary opening itself recorded no binding treaty ratifications; speakers repeatedly urged member states to ratify and to make concrete pledges during the conference.

Voices quoted in this article are taken from opening plenary remarks delivered in Nice, and are attributed to those speakers as recorded at the opening session.