UN marine conservation conference kicks off in France
The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) opened in Nice on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron urging immediate action to protect the world's oceans.
"We need swift action, not retreat," he said during his opening speech.
Representatives of 130 countries are gathering in the French coastal city until Friday.
Key topics on the agenda include tackling plastic pollution, expanding marine protected areas in international waters and debating the controversial extraction of raw materials from the deep sea.
France - the world's second-largest maritime nation after the United States - is also pushing for progress on binding international agreements to safeguard the high seas.
Co-hosted by Costa Rica and France, the conference is aiming to to come closer to the 60 ratifications needed for the key High Seas Treaty to come into force.
So far, 32 countries ratified the agreement, which was adopted in June 2023 and aims to protect ocean's biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The first two meetings were held in New York in 2017 and Lisbon in 2022.
The event is expected to conclude on Friday with the "Nice Action Plan," a package of voluntary commitments made by participating nations.
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