The Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) 2025 convened over 10,000 delegates and observers and 175 Member States under the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors”, marking a pivotal moment for ocean action. For the MENA Oceans Initiative, it was not just a milestone but the culmination of our appointment as the Regional Mobilisation Hub for the MENA region by the Presidential Special Envoy of France for UNOC3. Our sessions aimed to reflect the region’s marine, coastal, and blue economy priorities within the global ocean agenda, shaping actionable collaboration for regenerative, resilient, and transformative change.
We are grateful to our strategic partners, Advisory Board, and Network Members, whose contributions elevated these convenings and underscored the depth of regional capacity we are proud to carry forward.
Highlights of our programme included
- The MENA Blue Finance Leadership Think Tank, convened in strategic partnership with the UN Climate High Level Champions Team at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) in Monaco, featuring the launch of the Blue Economies for Coastal Resilience (BEFCR) Programme in partnership with Earthna – Qatar Foundation;
- The Ocean Relay: From Nice to Abu Dhabi High Level Forum, convened by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in strategic partnership with the Republic of France; facilitated by the MENA Oceans Initiative at La Baleine, Nice, setting the stage for
- the announcement of the Nice–Abu Dhabi Manifesto signed by Republic of France and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and
- the handover of the Nature’s Baton by Ocean Race Chairman Richard Brisius to H.E. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General EAD as Abu Dhabi prepares to host the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025;
- the MENA Policy Transformative Leadership Roundtable, convened in strategic partnership with the UN Climate High Level Champions Team at the Blue Zone in Nice, featuring the introduction of the Middle East Ocean Action Agenda, the outcome of 18 months of regional stakeholder engagement, and
- Ocean Literacy Practices from Around the World in collaboration with UNESCO ECOPs, ECOP Programme Asia Hub, and EU4Ocean at the Beyond Borders Pavilion, Nice, where Goumbook’s citizen science and community-based engagement approaches were highlighted within a global dialogue on ocean literacy.
Alongside these flagship sessions, we joined partner events on women’s leadership in ocean action, sustainable shipping, marine plastic pollution, and the Africa-Mediterranean-Europe cooperation corridor, reinforcing our commitment to diverse, cross-sectoral collaboration for ocean action.
Our full recap, now live, includes key takeaways from UNOC3 and its preceding Special Events, an in-depth look at our sessions, and a preview of where we’re headed next. Read it HERE
