10 June 2025, Nice France - The voices of young Pacific people calling for collaboration, innovative and culturally sensitive ways to protect our Ocean and marine life are being amplified in Nice France where the biggest Ocean summit is taking place this week.
On the margins of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), from 9-13 June, the Tiaki Moana documentary, detailing the story of two young French Polynesians who attended the Tiaki Moana Summit, drew attention to the critical need to ensure the Ocean is protected for generations to come.
In March 2025, 200 participants from 35 countries, including 42 Young Pacific Leaders, gathered in French Polynesia for the Tiaki Moana Summit and Workshop, designed for participants to share and advance marine Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in the Pacific.
At the scenic Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) joined the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Blue Cradle Foundation and Pacific partners to co-host the “Tiaki Moana: Pacific Wisdom and Community Action for Ocean Protection” side event where lessons from the Summit were discussed.
“I want to acknowledge and thank everyone and all the partners who played a role in this wonderful initiative. At UNOC3 here in Nice, we want to ensure that OECMs enhance — not undermine — our traditional knowledge and governance systems,” said SPREP’s Head of Delegation to UNOC3 and Director of Environmental Governance, Mr Jope Davetanivalu.
“Pacific wisdom and community action must guide the way forward — conservation efforts that are uniquely Pacific, rooted in tradition, community leadership, and resilience.”
IUCN Oceania Regional Office Coordinator for Protected and Conserved Areas, Mr Rahul Chand, highlighted the importance of creating shared spaces for Pacific communities and youth to engage with global conservation frameworks.
Said Mr Rahul: “These are the future leaders and it was inspiring to hear what their aspirations are, what they believe in, and how they see the future of ocean protection. As one young participant put it — ‘We are not just aligning with policy — we protect the ocean because it is our birthright.’
Founder and CEO of Blue Cradle Foundation, James Nikitine, said the Tiaki Moana was much more than a Summit.
“It was a spark,” he said, adding: “We are proud to work with IUCN Oceania and SPREP to ensure that Pacific voices are heard, and that Indigenous knowledge leads ocean action.”
The third UN Ocean Conference is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025. The overarching theme of the Conference is “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.
The Pacific Islands are represented by a strong contingent, which includes Leaders from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu.
Also present and engaged are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is providing support to Pacific delegations as part of the One CROP support.
SPREP will provide more Pacific news from the UNOC2025. For further information on the UN Ocean Conference 2025, please visit: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/ocean2025