NICE, France - The third United Nations Ocean Conference commenced on Monday in Nice, France, with a renewed urgency to transform long-standing promises into tangible ocean protection measures [1][2][3][4]. The global gathering comes at a critical juncture, as current marine conservation efforts fall significantly short of international targets.

According to the Marine Conservation Institute, only 2.7% of the world's oceans are effectively protected from destructive extractive activities [1][2][3][4]. This figure stands in stark contrast to the ambitious '30x30' pledge, which aims to conserve 30% of land and sea by 2030 [1][2][3][4].

At the forefront of this year's conference agenda is the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023 [1][2][3][4]. This landmark agreement would, for the first time, enable nations to establish marine protected areas in international waters - a vast expanse covering nearly two-thirds of the ocean that has remained largely ungoverned [1][2][3][4].

Mauro Randone, regional projects manager at the World Wildlife Fund's Mediterranean Marine Initiative, emphasized the critical need for regulation in international waters. "It's the Wild West out there with countries just fishing anywhere without any sort of regulation, and that needs to change," Randone stated. "The high seas belong to everyone and no one practically at the same time" [2][4].

The conference in Nice serves as a platform for nations to address the pressing challenges facing our oceans and to work towards implementing effective conservation strategies. As global leaders convene, the world watches to see if this summit will mark a turning point in translating long-standing commitments into concrete actions for protecting the world's marine ecosystems.