Interview with Vava’u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA), Tonga
- High Seas & Ocean Governance
The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice, France in June 2025, brought together world leaders, scientists, civil society, and communities to address the accelerating ocean crisis. With the deadline for the 30×30 target approaching and the BBNJ Agreement awaiting ratification, the stakes could not have been higher.
RISE UP mobilized its network for UNOC3, coordinating civil society advocacy, facilitating member participation in side events, and amplifying frontline community voices in the official proceedings. Our collective presence ensured that small-scale fishers, Indigenous communities, and Global South organizations were heard in discussions that will shape the ocean’s future.
The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), was co-chaired by the governments of France and Costa Rica, and took place in Nice from 9-13 June 2025. The theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean,” gave UNOC3 a platform to build upon the previous UN Ocean Conferences held in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022).This pivotal gathering offered a multilateral platform for governments, civil society, and all ocean stakeholders to unite in addressing the urgent issues facing our ocean, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) to conserve and sustainably use marine resources.
RISE UP brought the power of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, small-scale fishers, and ocean defenders to the global stage, amplifying calls for a just, inclusive, and rights-based ocean agenda through events in the Green Zone (the space for the public to engage in UNOC3).
RISE UP kicked off the week by convening partners and allies to align priorities and strategies during the Civil Society Working Session, followed by participating in the Blue March. The evening Blue Hour Drinks strengthened collaboration and connection among ocean advocates, and represented a powerful moment of unity through art and activism. Brianna Fruean, the climate change and environmental advocate from Samoa, shared stories of her connection to the Ocean from a Pacific perspective.
Throughout the conference, RISE UP elevated the voices of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and small-scale fishers.
Civil society leaders brought grassroots priorities directly into policy spaces, urging inclusive, community-informed ocean governance. Events like From Shore to Summit and Bridging Science and Policy for Coral Reef Conservation highlighted the need for collaboration between science, policy, and local action.
In Advancing Equity in Small-Scale Fisheries, RISE UP partners championed preferential access and co-management solutions in Africa and Asia. The Call to Action to Support and Safeguard Ocean Defenders united voices from around the world to protect those on the frontlines of ocean conservation.
RISE UP also spotlighted data justice, sustainable fisheries, and youth leadership through events such as All Things Data, Small-Scale Fishers: At the Center of Ocean Governance, and Enhancing Ocean Literacy and Empowering Youth Leadership to Protect the Deep Sea. The week closed with powerful film screenings showcasing stories of resistance and hope.
Across UNOC3, RISE UP reaffirmed its commitment to building solidarity, equity, and accountability in global ocean governance. By standing with communities, defending human rights, and advancing inclusive ocean action, civil society is showing what it means to truly protect the ocean, protect life.
Read the full article to explore how communities shaped UNOC3.
Read the Civil Society Statement facilitated by RISE UP, Oceano Azul Foundation and Flora & Fauna
Meet the members videos from UNOC3: Alifereti Tawake and Jihyun Lee.
UNOC3 showed that just and inclusive ocean governance depends on the people closest to the sea. Their knowledge, rights, and leadership are essential for lasting solutions. As we now head towards COP30 in Brazil all eyes are on Belem as the location to bring the Ocean to the forefront of Climate talks, and create strong, societal-led governance for the Ocean and our Planet.
Let’s be Nice to the Ocean
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC)
From the negotiating halls to side events and civil society spaces, RISE UP members made their presence felt throughout UNOC3 — and secured meaningful recognition of ocean justice priorities.
RISE UP member organizations participated in official UNOC3 proceedings, side events, and the civil society forum — bringing perspectives from small-scale fishers, Indigenous communities, and Global South organizations that are rarely centered in high-level ocean diplomacy.
UNOC3 was a key platform for amplifying the Blue Call to Action — generating new endorsements, introducing the RISE UP framework to international delegations, and reinforcing the demand for rights-based ocean governance in official declarations.
The conference was an opportunity to deepen connections across the RISE UP network — building relationships between member organizations, identifying shared priorities, and laying the groundwork for coordinated action ahead of COP 30 in Belém.
