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Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), joined the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held June 5 through 9 in Nice, France:
“We met at a decisive moment — just five years remain to achieve the 30x30 target, our global safety net. We know enough to act. Restoring marine ecosystems is not a crisis of knowledge, but of implementation and follow-through.”
UNOC3 is building momentum toward the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi and COP30 Brazil, underscoring the need for an ambitious plan of action for a healthy, sustainable, and productive ocean — and showing that oceans are as much about nature and biodiversity as they are about climate and people.
1️⃣ At the Opening Plenary, President Emmanuel Macron of France stressed the need to revitalize multilateralism, declaring “the ocean is not for sale.” President Rodrigo Chaves Robles of Costa Rica said “the ocean speaks to us through bleached coral reefs and wounded mangroves,” and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, “it’s impossible to speak of sustainable development without including the oceans.”
2️⃣ Ms. Al Mubarak joined the opening Ocean Action panel, “Conserving, sustainably managing and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems including deep-sea ecosystems,” alongside Inger Andersen (UNEP), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (WTO), and Marc Benioff (Salesforce), co-chaired by Marina Silva (Brazil) and Stavros Papastavrou (Greece).
3️⃣ As President of IUCN, Ms. Al Mubarak gave opening remarks at “Accelerating Partnerships and Action for Effective and Equitable Ocean Protection.” The event launched the 30x30 Ocean Action Plan: a roadmap to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 through concrete action, innovative finance, and recognition of Indigenous leadership.
4️⃣ Ms. Al Mubrak also attended the “Making Waves from Paris to Belém” dialogue, convened by Brazil and the Ocean Breakthroughs team, where conversation reflected on a decade of ocean-climate action and urged countries to integrate ocean solutions into their Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30 Brazil.
5️⃣ Ms. Al Mubarak chaired an informal consultation with non-state actors to carry outcomes from UNOC to the IUCN World Conservation Congress and COP30. This dialogue defined key deliverables and goals, weaving a “blue thread” of ambition across all three milestones.
6️⃣ At the Ocean Panel Reception, attendees celebrated ocean success stories with leaders including Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau, and H.R.H. Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, reaffirming shared commitment.
From Nice to Abu Dhabi to Belém, the mission is clear: center the ocean in global climate and biodiversity solutions — not just in words, but in decisions, budgets, and real-world action:
“The urgency could not be greater. It is now or never. Let’s keep pushing forward — with science, solidarity, and shared purpose."
