OECD at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)

Costa Rica and France are co-hosting the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), taking place from 9–13 June 2025 in Nice, France, with the aim of supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) on the marine environment. The co-hosts have outlined three main priorities for UNOC3 to produce an ambitious draft agreement:

• Working for the successful completion of multilateral processes linked to the ocean and raising the level of ambition for ocean protection (for example by encouraging the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, building consensus towards a Global Plastics Treaty, supporting the World Trade Organization’s second phase of negotiations for a comprehensive Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies).
• Mobilising further funding to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (as called for in SDG 14) and support the development of a sustainable ocean.
• Strengthening and better disseminating knowledge related to ocean sciences for better decision-making.

UNOC3 will bring together a wide range of stakeholders—including governments, international organisations, civil society, the private sector, and academia. Notably, the OECD and its Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, along with policy-makers, and business leaders, will take part in shaping a sustainable future for our ocean.

As a key player in marine and maritime policy issues, the OECD will actively contribute by providing actionable policy advice and original economic analysis on ocean issues.

• A new OECD legal instrument, the OECD Recommendation on Eliminating Government Support to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, which was adopted by Council on 29 April 2025, and highlighted at Our Ocean Conference on 28-30 April, in Busan, Korea. The Recommendation provides concrete guidance to ensure that public funds do not support illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, thereby inviting Adherents to adopt a range of measures which can also support the implementation of some of the key provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. 

• The OECD Review of Fisheries 2025, launched on 19 February 2025, offers comprehensive guidance on sustainable fisheries management to ensure healthy and productive fish stocks in the future. To reduce the risk of support inadvertently encouraging unsustainable fishing, the Review recommends that fisheries support polices target well-managed fisheries, and governments increase investment in assessments, management, monitoring, control and surveillance.

• The Ocean Economy to 2050 report, launched on 31 March 2025 by the OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the SOS Ocean High Level Event in Paris. The report finds that while the ocean economy doubled in real terms, from USD 1.3 trillion in 1995 to USD 2.6 trillion in 2020, co-ordinated policy action is essential to safeguard its long-term prosperity and sustainability. The report identifies key priorities for policymakers to secure a resilient and sustainable future ocean economy, balancing economic opportunity with environmental responsibility.

• Policy highlights of The Blue Economy in Cities and Regions: A Territorial Approach. Building on a global survey of 80+ cities, regions and basins, this report highlights the costs and benefits of the blue economy at subnational level and provides an overview of the multi-level governance of the blue economy and related gaps. It calls on cities and regions to develop resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular (RISC-proof) blue economies by establishing the right governance conditions and concludes with a RISC Assessment Framework to help them do so.

• Development co-operation and the elimination of plastic pollution. Developing countries would reap important benefits from eliminating plastic pollution but may lack sufficient resources to implement policies. This Brief examines flows of official development assistance to curb plastic pollution, highlights the important role of development co-operation providers in scaling up policy efforts and resource mobilisation, and offers priorities for policymakers.

• The Role of Shipbuilding in Maritime Decarbonisation, launched on 28 April 2025 during the OECD Shipbuilding Committee meeting. With maritime transport responsible for moving around 80% of global trade and accounting for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the shipbuilding industry is central to advancing its decarbonisation efforts. This report explores how ship design, alternative fuels, and innovative technologies are transforming maritime transport. It highlights the critical role of shipyards and marine technology suppliers in enabling the transition to low- and zero-emission vessels and identifies key challenges—including an aging fleet, fuel costs, and investment gaps—as well as policy enablers to accelerate progress in line with the IMO’s 2023 GHG strategy.

• Policy Brief: Exploring and mapping the ocean depths for a more sustainable future (will be released on 9 June 2025). Comprehensive seabed mapping is essential for ocean and climate science, maritime safety, ecosystem conservation, and a sustainable ocean economy. Yet, nearly 74% of the seabed remains unmapped, despite progress by international initiatives like the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans - Seabed 2030. Overcoming technical, financial, and policy barriers—through improved data access and sharing, technology transfer, funding, and capacity-building—is key. Renewed policies can drive these efforts and unlock the full value of seafloor knowledge for science and society.

• Promoting Sustainable Ocean Economies: Guidance for Development Co-operation. It will provide a comprehensive and cross-cutting set of recommendations on how development co-operation providers can support partner countries in transitioning to a sustainable ocean economy. Approved by the Development Assistance Committee, the guidance functions as a reference tool for development co-operation providers in channeling their increasingly limited development assistance effectively and efficiently.