12 June 2025, Nice France - The incredible marine conservation efforts achieved through strong Pacific leadership, with a focus on the key strategies that will lead the Pacific region towards the global 30x30 target of protecting 30% of the Ocean by 2030, has been spotlighted at the ongoing UN Ocean Conference.
The Charting Pacific Blue: Accelerating 30x30 through Regional Roadmaps and Inclusive Marine Conservation side event was hosted by IUCN Oceania on the margins of UNOC3 in Nice, France.
“For the Marshall Islands and our Pacific family, the 30 by 30 ambition is not merely a numerical target. It is an act of survival and a search of sovereignty and a living expression of our stewardship,” said Her Excellency Hilda Heine, the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
President Heine was amongst the distinguished speakers including Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Vanuatu, Hon. Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, Minister for Environment, Samoa, Hon. Jeremie Katidjo Monnier, Minister of Environment, New Caledonia and Dr. Dindo Campilan, IUCN Regional Director for Asia and Hub Director for Oceania.
The Marshall Islands is taking action with 48,136 km² protected across Bikar and Bokak marine sanctuaries, the Micronesia Challenge and a commitment to 30% marine and 20% land conservation by 2030.
“We are not small island states. We are large ocean states. What we protect here, we protect for all humankind,” concluded President Heine.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), providing support to Pacific delegations at UNOC3 as part of the One CROP support, was represented at the meeting by Head of SPREP Delegation to UNOC3 and Director of Environmental Governance, Mr Jope Davetanivalu.
He extended SPREP’s gratitude to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Pacific Island governments for their national and regional efforts under the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme, achieved in partnership with SPREP.
“Oceans are a key priority issue for SPREP, addressed through Programmes such as BIOPAMA and our Ocean Governance Framework, as a coordination mechanism among our five programmes of work,” said Mr Davetanivalu.
“Whilst our regional roadmaps align with the Global Biodiversity Framework, we are drawing locally from the power of Indigenous and community-led ocean stewardship, including the recognition of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).”
The Charting Pacific Blue event was a celebration of Pacific solutions and a strong call to upscale these efforts with the support of global funding partners.
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