06/27/2025

The IKI at the UN Ocean Conference

A delegation of men in suits, accompanied by media and security personnel, walks across the deck of a ship. Buildings and green hills are visible in the background. — Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (right) and the French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on board the German research vessel Meteor.

In Nice, IKI projects demonstrated their diverse engagement – for the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, for regional cooperation, and for a just and inclusive approach to marine conservation worldwide.

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the earth's surface – they regulate the climate, produce around half of the oxygen we breathe and provide habitats for a large variety of species. They also secure the livelihoods of billions of people. Yet marine and coastal ecosystems are increasingly losing their balance due to overfishing, pollution, climate change and acidification of the oceans.

The International Climate Initiative (IKI) is funding targeted measures for the conservation and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. It also finances projects that promote sustainable fishing practices and develop and strengthen marine protection concepts. IKI projects therefore not only make a direct contribution to the protection of marine habitats, but also strengthen the resilience of local communities that are particularly dependent on marine and coastal ecosystems.

For this reason, the IKI was represented this year at the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in the French city of Nice – the most important global summit for marine conservation. From 9 to 13 June 2025, representatives of the international community met there to coordinate policy measures, affirm international compliance and press ahead with specific solutions to protect the oceans. At the UNOC, the IKI participated in events involving its own projects and those of project partners, and made use of the conference to strengthen existing networks and establish new ones.

New IKI project announced

A roundtable discussion with about a dozen participants in a room decorated with international flags hanging from the ceiling. Six people are seated in a circle in front of a screen titled “Protecting the High Seas,” as the audience listens attentively. — Ilka Wagner, Head of Division for Marine Biodiversity, Marine Protected Areas, and Marine Climate Protection at the BMUKN (third from the right on the panel), at an event organised by an IKI project.

At the conference, German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider announced the new IKI project “Living High Seas”. With a planned funding volume of EUR 20 million, the project is intended to support partner countries in the Global South in identifying marine protected areas as part of the UN Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The project will be implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with other partners and is currently in the preparation phase.

Together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), the project consortium organised the event “Protecting the High Seas: Ambitious Implementation of the BBJN Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction” on board the German research vessel RV Meteor. In a panel discussion, experts from governments, international groups, science and civil society discussed implementation options for the UN Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and, in particular, the identification of initial protected areas in international waters.

Regional network for marine and coastal protected areas along the South American Pacific coast

Eight-person panel discusses marine protection in the Southeast Pacific, seated in front of an audience. Large screen behind shows the title and portraits of the speakers. Several small national flags stand on a table to the left. — The event “Regional Collaboration for Healthy Oceans: Moving towards the establishment of a Marine and Coastal Protected Areas Network in the Southeast Pacific”.

At the event “Regional Collaboration for Healthy Oceans: Moving towards the establishment of a Marine and Coastal Protected Areas Network in the Southeast Pacific”, a letter of commitment to build a regional network for marine and coastal protected areas along the South American Pacific coast (Regional Marine and Coastal Protected Areas Network - RAMPAS) was announced. The regional protected areas network will coordinate management, monitoring and surveillance approaches for marine protected areas in the region, involving coastal and island communities and new generations.

The event was organised by the IKI project “Save the Blue Five” together with the Permanent Commission for the South East Pacific.

Just implementation of the 30x30 target in the Caribbean

A man holding a microphone speaks at a podium in front of an audience, with five people seated on barstools beside him on stage. Behind them, a screen displays the title “An Equitable Outlook – Pathways and Practical Approaches to Just Implementation in the Caribbean”. — The event “A just 30x30”, organised by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

The event “A just 30x30”, organised by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, was dedicated to ways and practical approaches for a just implementation of the target agreed upon by the global community to protect at least 30 per cent of the marine area by 2030. The central topic of the event was the need for an inclusive and human rights-based approach to marine conservation in the Caribbean.

Representatives of various marine conservation projects from the region emphasised that planned marine conservation strategies must take gender equality as well as indigenous knowledge and the development of local expertise into consideration.

A project promoted by the IKI-financed EbA Facility also participated in the panel discussion. The facility is a sinking fund under the umbrella of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

International community agrees on the Nice Action Plan

At the end of the UNOC3, the international community agreed on the “Nice Action Plan” - a political declaration by the participating states for the improvement of marine conservation. Under the title “Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action”, the declaration contains more than 800 voluntary commitments from states, UN organisations, scientists and civil society for more ambitious marine conservation.

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