By RISE UP members World Trade Organization (WTO) members convened from 26 to 30 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for their 14th Ministerial Conference. This is the decision-making body that meets every two years to shape how the institution can address challenges facing the international trading system. This year, members discussed critical issues such as harmful subsidies: $22 billion that governments pay to fishing operators to keep them profitable and one of […]

The Third Session of the Preparatory Commission (PrepCom III) for the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) marked a pivotal step in moving from negotiation to implementation. Held from 23 March to 2 April 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York, the session brought together over 200 representatives from governments, civil […]

After two weeks inside the International Seabed Authority Council negotiations in Kingston, Jamaica, I can say this clearly: the world is not ready for deep-sea mining. Not scientifically. Not technically. Not in terms of governance. And yet the pressure to move forward continues undeterred by the scale of what remains unresolved. I was present at […]

As global momentum builds around protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, a critical question remains: how much of this protection is truly effective? Natalie Fox from RISE UP spoke with Marine Conservation Institute to explore how their work is helping ensure marine protection delivers real benefits for biodiversity and the communities that depend on […]

Autone Mululuma is a youth ocean advocate from Zambia, a landlocked country, who has dedicated 2025 to raising awareness about ocean protection and the High Seas Treaty. Through school outreach, government engagement, art campaigns and collaborations with youth groups like ActionAid Zambia and UNZANARSO, Autone has connected over 1,000 people to the cause, challenging the […]

Words by: Juliana Uribe, Mariana Diaz and Lina Torres from Movilizatorio. Being in Davos and receiving the award of Collective Social Innovators of the year was really exciting, but also profoundly challenging. Above all, it was a crucial reality check: a close-up look at where the world stands today, characterised by stark contrasts and urgent […]

Words by Natalie Fox – eXXpedition ambassador  Marine plastic pollution was my ocean conservation entry point – and perhaps it is for many. When I started surfing over twenty years ago, finding plastic on the beach made just as much of an impression on me as my first waves. I began with simple and easy […]

On 10 December, during the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), RISE UP member Campaign for Nature released a new report, developed with The Pew Charitable Trusts and Rainforest Foundation Norway. The report provides the most comprehensive snapshot yet of international funding for protected and conserved areas (PCAs)—a cornerstone of the global 30×30 target under the […]

COP30, the 2025 UN Climate Conference, took place in Belém, Brazil, at the edge of the Amazon basin, one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. The setting mattered. Belém sits where the rainforest, river and Atlantic meet, a living reminder that land and ocean are one system and that climate impacts do not respect the […]

Manta and devil rays are among the ocean’s most intelligent and iconic species, yet are disappearing at an alarming rate. Once largely overlooked as bycatch, all ten species are now facing severe population declines driven by international trade and fishing pressure. In late 2025, a major turning point arrived. At the 20th Conference of the […]