Over the next 12 months we have the opportunity to mobilize unprecedented ocean action.

The last two years have seen historic agreements: to commit to protect and restore 30% of the ocean and coastal areas by 2030; to manage and protect Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) also widely known as the High Seas Treaty; to end harmful fisheries subsidies; to develop a Global Plastics Treaty; and to place the ocean in the main domain of UN Climate Conferences and as a priority of the G20 agenda through the Oceans 20. Ocean science is also receiving greater attention than ever thanks to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the Vision 2030. Now it is time to work together to maximize the impact of these achievements.

In the lead up to the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), to be held in Nice, France, 9-13 June 2025, it is vital that we link these agreements in order to accelerate their implementation and propel progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal for the Ocean (SDG14).

The challenge is to “Bring it All Together” on the ocean’s behalf so that action proceeds with cohesion and pace. To achieve that unity of purpose, Friends of Ocean Action, co-chaired by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, identified a set of key “asks” across four activation threads: Ocean-Climate; High Seas Protection; Blue Foods; and Pollution.

By addressing these asks, synergizing where possible with existing and new frameworks and agendas, and working across sectors, we can Bring it All Together for the Ocean.