Papua New Guinea has demonstrated bold leadership and renewed ambition for sustainable ocean governance on the world stage at the Third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC3), underway this week in Nice, France.
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape leads the PNG delegation to join 148 leaders – among them 49 Heads of State and Government, six Deputy Prime Ministers, 60 Ministers, nine Vice-Ministers and representatives from 28 international organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia.
These leaders are united in driving urgent global action to protect the world’s oceans and marine resources and further foster sustainable development under global Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) on oceans and seas.
The Conference on SDG 14 and its 10 targets, addresses key areas including sustainable fishing; support for small scale fishers; conservation of coastal and marine areas; reducing marine pollution; protecting and restoring marine eco- systems; reducing ocean acidification; and combating and ending subsidies that contribute to harmful fishing practices. It also expands efforts to increase the economic benefits from sustainable use of marine resources for countries; fosters national, regional and global capacity building in scientific knowledge, marine research, and technology transfer for ocean health; and implements and enforces international law, including notably the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its subsidiary implementing agreements.
The Conference, being held from 9 – 13 June, will cover plenary meetings for world leaders to share their views in a General Debate segment on the important ocean-related work being done to attain SDG14 as well as another segment that addresses 10 Ocean Action Panels focused on various thematic areas of importance to the ocean’s agenda.
Prime Minister Marape, ahead of delivering Papua New Guinea’s national statement to the Conference on 9 June, stated upon his arrival in France.
“Papua New Guinea as a large maritime and archipelagic nation with around 2.8 million square kilometers of maritime territory, and at the heart of the Coral Triangle, is home to 7 per cent of global biodiversity, one-third of the world’s tuna stocks, and the fourth largest coral reef system on the planet. PNG must ensure there is strategic leadership in the country to make sure that our maritime zones, including exclusive economic zone and its resources, are better protected and used sustainably for the country’s benefit now and for future generations.
“The ocean is not just a resource, it is the lifeblood of our people, our culture, our identity and our economy”.
Aligned with the country’s Medium-Term Development Plan (2023–2027) and Sustainable Development Goal 14, the Government has already taken decisive action. It has enacted the Marine Protected Areas Act targeting 30 percent marine protection by 2030, with over 17,000 square kilometres already designated; strengthened fisheries management under the enhanced regional cooperation and zone-based management; and intensified efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This is in addition to becoming a State Party to the Port State Measures Agreement, besides preparing to ratify the World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Agreement later this year.
Prime Minister Marape also reaffirmed his government’s strong position against deep seabed mining, adding that this was not in the best interest of the country given the complex issues surrounding this issue.
A milestone of Papua New Guinea’s official engagement at the Oceans Conference will be the signing of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustain able Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), a landmark treaty for high seas governance, which was adopted by consensus in the United Nations General Assembly on 19 June 2023.
“Papua New Guinea is proud to stand together with the international community in signing the BBNJ Agreement. It reflects our unwavering support for multilateral action and responsible stewardship of our global commons,” said PM Marape.
Papua New Guinea will also host a side event at the Ocean Conference on safeguarding climate-resilient coral reefs. Other high-level participants include partner governments, major donors, and conservation leaders, supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Global Environment Facility, and others provide a critical platform to accelerate progress toward the 30×30 marine conservation goals.
The Conference will also discuss the climate-ocean nexus, where urgent measures are needed to address the existential threats posed by climate change and rising sea levels, marine pollution, particularly plastics and ocean acidification and global warming.
The Prime Minister also made a strong call on major carbon emitters to honour their Paris Agreement commitments, reversing and preventing further ocean degradation and also ensure that the world keeps within the Paris Agreement 1.5 temperature goal cannot be overstated.
PM Marape advocated for the world to better support forests conservation and sustainable use, including through the Paris Agreement REDD-Plus frame work.
“Despite Papua New Guinea’s unwavering commitment and efforts for the forest sector as an answer to mitigate climate change, we remain seriously concerned that the extensive work done in the forest sector under the Paris Agreement has yet to see any tangible returns for us from the international community, so far. This is most disappointing, to say the least. We can do better”, said the Prime Minister.
During the Conference, Prime Minister Marape will hold bilateral dialogue with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and is also expected to meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the next UNFCCC COP30 in Belem, Brazil, later this year. Other bilateral meetings sought with Prime Minister are from Japan, Austria, Germany, Singapore, Czech Republic and Kyrgyzstan but these have been delegated to the Foreign Minister. The Prime Minister will be attending the Ocean Conference for three days.
Prime Minister Marape is being supported at the Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Justin Tkatchenko and Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Hon. Jelta Wong. Prime Minister Marape’s attendance of the Oceans Conference is at the invitation issued in October 2024 by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The UN Ocean Conference is held every four years at Heads of State and Government level and convened at different locations where governments volunteer to host the Conference. It is aimed at taking stock of the progress on SDG 14 and how to better facilitate countries around the world to deliver the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This year, the Conference is co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica.