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Li Junhua, Conference Secretary-General, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Costa Rica and Olivier Poivre D'Arvor, Special Envoy of the French Republic for UN Ocean Conference address the final press briefing of UNOC3. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

With the future of the world’s oceans hanging in the balance, global leaders, scientists, and activists gathered in the French Riviera city of Nice this week for the historic UN Ocean Conference, where France declared a new era of high seas governance and marine protection.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, France’s Special Envoy for the UN Ocean Conference, said the global gathering marks a turning point for ocean conservation, with 174 delegations and 64 heads of state rallying behind a common goal—to transform the world’s oceans from a lawless expanse into a protected global commons governed by science, cooperation, and binding treaties.

“The high seas are no longer a playground. They are now a protected space,” d’Arvor told reporters, announcing that the UN’s landmark treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) will officially enter into force by early January 2026.

Dubbed the “Treaty of Nice,” the pact seeks to place nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean under international governance, a move hailed by conservationists as the biggest step forward for marine protection in decades. With 56 countries having ratified the treaty and 14 more expected to follow before the ceremonial launch in New York on September 23, the agreement meets the 60-country threshold required for it to become law.

“This is a foundational moment,” said d’Arvor. “Nice could become for ocean governance what Rio was for climate and biodiversity.”

The treaty, negotiated over 15 years, aims to regulate the high seas—areas beyond national jurisdiction that have long been vulnerable to overfishing, pollution, and unregulated extraction. It also lays the groundwork for the first-ever Ocean COP, expected by the end of 2026, where signatory countries will finalize implementation protocols, establish a permanent secretariat, and begin real enforcement through satellites, naval fleets, and drones.

Despite tensions in multilateral diplomacy, France—with co-host Costa Rica and the UN—has managed to galvanize widespread support. In a strong show of unity, even geopolitical rivals such as China, India, and the European Union endorsed the treaty, while Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Indonesia ratified it during the summit.

D’Arvor also used the occasion to caution against a renewed push for deep-sea mining, particularly in light of a recent U.S. executive order authorizing a preliminary exploration mission. “The deep sea is not for sale—no more than Antarctica or Greenland,” he warned, pledging that a coalition of 40 countries would continue to block any attempt to adopt a mining code without consensus under the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

“Those who hoped the code would be adopted at Kingston this July have lost the battle. I hope they’ve lost the war,” he added.

In parallel with the treaty’s legal strides, the conference saw the launch of the European Ocean Pact, a collaborative ocean exploration initiative unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The pact, backed by countries including India and China, aims to correct the stark imbalance in research funding—currently, ocean exploration receives 250 times less funding than space programs.

By bringing together oceanographic institutes, space agencies, and private sector players, the initiative promises to generate a shared global database to help map and understand the ocean in unprecedented detail. “In 15 years, we aim to fully understand the ocean—or at least enough to truly protect it,” said d’Arvor.

He stressed that science—not political posturing—will be the new compass for ocean policy. “This is the victory of science. The ocean has long been a victim of exploitation and ignorance. But now, it can become a platform for cooperation and peace.”

Yet challenges remain. While Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) are relatively well managed, questions linger about compliance and enforcement. The true test, observers say, will be translating high-level pledges into measurable progress.

Still, the momentum in Nice has brought renewed hope for ocean defenders around the globe. “We are not there yet,” said d’Arvor. “But for the first time, we are truly moving forward—and there is no turning back.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Greenpeace banner sign against deep sea mining at UNOC3 in Nice on June 11, 2025. Credit: Greenpeace

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) concluded today in Nice with an urgent call for governments to translate bold words into concrete action to protect the world’s oceans. Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the summit brought together more than 15,000 participants, including 50 heads of state and government, civil society leaders, scientists, youth, and Indigenous communities in an 11-day event hailed as both a milestone for ocean diplomacy and a test of global resolve.

“This conference has been a resounding success,” said Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, France’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. “We close not just with hope, but with concrete commitments, clear direction, and undeniable momentum.”

Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco emphasized the breadth of participation and the centrality of science in shaping decisions. “Together with France, we worked toward an action-oriented conference where all actors are represented and where finance and science go hand in hand,” he said.

Under-Secretary-General Li Chunhua, the Secretary-General of the conference, stressed the need for implementation: “The real test is not what we said here but what we do next. The wave of change has formed. Now, it is our collective responsibility to propel it forward.”

Key Outcomes and Announcements

One of the most anticipated achievements of the conference was progress on the High Seas Treaty—officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. With 51 ratifications confirmed and 60 needed for entry into force, the treaty promises to enable the creation of marine protected areas in international waters, a crucial tool to achieving the goal of protecting 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.

Additionally, 800 new voluntary commitments were registered across the 10 multi-stakeholder Ocean Action Panels, addressing issues from marine pollution and deep-sea ecosystems to ocean finance and the role of Indigenous peoples.

New and strengthened initiatives launched at UNOC3 include:

The One Ocean Finance Facility is aimed at closing the multi-billion-dollar funding gap for ocean conservation.

The European Ocean Pact, which reinforces regional cooperation for sustainable ocean management.

The Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Coalition, supporting vulnerable communities on the frontlines of sea-level rise.

The conference also saw mounting support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, with four more nations joining the call, bringing the total to 37. “More and more countries are listening to science and the demands of youth for their common heritage over commercial interests,” Tinoco noted.

Civil Society: ‘Fine Words Must Now Translate into Action’

Despite these commitments, environmental groups expressed frustration that the conference stopped short of stronger legally binding decisions, especially on deep-sea mining.

“We’ve heard lots of fine words here in Nice, but these need to turn into tangible action,” said Megan Randles, head of Greenpeace’s delegation. “Countries must be brave and make history by committing to a moratorium on deep-sea mining at next month’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting.”

Randles welcomed the ratification progress of the High Seas Treaty but said governments “missed the moment” to take firmer steps against industries threatening marine ecosystems. “The deep sea should not become the wild west,” she added, referencing UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent remarks.

Activists also stressed the importance of upcoming negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty, resuming in Geneva this August. Ninety-five governments signed the “Nice Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty,” but concerns remain that lobbying from oil and petrochemical interests could water down the deal.

“The world cannot afford a weak treaty dictated by oil-soaked obstructionists,” said John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA. “Governments need to show that multilateralism still works for people and the planet, not the profits of a greedy few.”

Indigenous Voices and Ocean Justice

Coastal and Indigenous communities were visibly present throughout the conference, particularly in the “Green Zone” in La Valette, which welcomed more than 100,000 visitors and hosted grassroots events, youth forums, and artistic exhibitions.

Nichanan Thantanwit, Project Leader at the Ocean Justice Project, highlighted the continued marginalization of traditional ocean custodians: “There is no ocean protection without the people who have protected it all along. Governments must recognize small-scale fishers and Indigenous peoples as rights-holders and secure their role in ocean governance.”

She also called for an end to destructive industrial practices like bottom trawling and harmful aquaculture, which she said “drive ecological collapse and human rights violations.”

Mixed Reviews for France’s Leadership

While French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his call for a deep-sea mining moratorium—calling it “an international necessity”—some ”conservationists argued that France failed to fully lead by example.

“This was France’s moment, but instead of making a splash, its impact was more of a ripple,” said Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas. “We heard many policymakers speak about what needs to be done—yet few took the bold steps necessary to protect the ocean.”

Sala did praise governments that announced new fully protected marine areas but said the conference was “heavy on rhetoric, light on resolve.”

What to expect

The anticipated “Nice Ocean Action Plan,” a political declaration accompanied by voluntary commitments, will be released later today. Although non-binding, it is expected to influence key decisions at the ISA meeting in July and the Global Plastics Treaty talks in August.

Chunhua announced that South Korea and Chile have expressed readiness to host the next UN Ocean Conference. “We want the positive momentum generated in Nice to amplify even further in UNOC4,” he said.

As UNOC3 closes, the spirit of the event remains optimistic—but its legacy will depend on what happens next.

As Greenpeace’s Randles put it, “This must not be where it ends. It must be where it truly begins.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Amina Langa planting mangrove seedling on the Indian Ocean's coast. Credit: WWF

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

Just before dawn, a flotilla of wooden canoes drifts silently  through mangrove-tangled channels where roots sprout from the black mud of the lagoon. Here, at the edge between sea and forest, lies a story of restoration.

The Northern Mozambique Channel (NMC) is a stretch of water and a rich biological hotspot. Stretching along the coasts of Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Madagascar, and the Seychelles, the channel holds 35 percent of the Indian Ocean’s coral reefs, tracts of mangroves, seagrass meadows, and deep-sea habitats. It is home to over 10 million coastal people whose livelihoods rely on the ecosystems.

Yet, this marvel is under siege. Climate change, land-based runoff, overfishing, coastal development, offshore drilling, and shipping traffic have degraded its vital systems. In response, the UN designated 2021–2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, launching the World Restoration Flagships—large-scale restoration efforts that follow a shared global framework. In early June 2025, the NMC joined two other sites as a flagship region in this global initiative—a recognition of the deep, sustained conservation effort led by WWF, UNEP, FAO, governments, and local communities.

‘Such a Special Place’

On a recent call, Dr. Samantha Petersen, WWF’s leader for the Southwest Indian Ocean regional program, said, “It’s really such a special place. Highly, highly, highly connected… incredible biodiversity hotspot, with massive… human dependency from the coastal communities.”

Petersen said any restoration plan “needs to be balanced in an integrated way to deliver outcomes for people, nature, and climate.” In practice, that means blending scientific rigor with traditional knowledge—a partnership where nurseries, seedling cultivation, and local stewardship are as essential as policy frameworks and funding streams.

Mangroves at the Core

Among the most urgent work is bringing back the mangroves. These coastal forests are nursery grounds for fish that small-scale fishers depend on.

Petersen explained, “By restoring and securing those nursery grounds… we are securing food security… and livelihoods of small-scale fishers in the region.”

WWF is partnering with community organizations to actively restore approximately 15,000 hectares of mangroves, about 25–30 percent of the restorable area in the NMC—primarily through coastal community-led initiatives. Another 180,000 hectares fall under community-based stewardship, a proof of scale and ambition.

Communities dig planting holes, tend seedlings in nurseries, and monitor growth. WWF provides support: site selection guidance, technical training, materials, and help tracking success over long periods. With coherent management and investment, the project aims to restore 4.85 million hectares of paired land and seascapes by 2030 across participating nations, bringing environmental and social returns in equal measure.

Impressive Story

In ankle-deep water, where the Indian Ocean laps gently at the crumbling edge of Mozambique’s northern coast, 38-year-old Amina Langa bends low in the warm, silty water, pressing red mangrove saplings into the earth like offerings, her hands caked in mud, her expression calm but focused. The tide was creeping in, but she barely noticed. The sun was already sharp, casting long shadows on the salt-bleached sand, yet she moved with the quiet persistence of someone who has learned to listen to the rhythms of the sea.

Langa’s memories are vivid. She speaks of a childhood where the ocean sparkled with promise.

“Back then,” she says, “the nets came back heavy every time.” Her eyes drift out toward the horizon. “The water was alive.”

But that was before the years of cut mangroves, the rise of commercial shrimp farms, the oil stains, and the plastic waste that drifted in with the waves. The forest that once anchored this coastline had thinned to almost nothing, and with it, the fish.

She looked down at the rows of saplings poking from the tidal muck. “These,” she said, her voice soft but certain, “these are hope.” Last year, her nursery nursed 10,000 mangrove seedlings to life. This year, she’s on pace for triple that. What began as one woman’s stubborn vision has now spread—30 fishers from neighboring villages have joined her, their own hands learning the rituals of restoration. In just six months, they built four community nurseries that now supply reforestation efforts up and down the coast.

There’s pride in her every word, but no boast. “I tell them,” she said, “just sit by the water tomorrow morning. Watch. It’s already changing.” She describes schools of tiny fish flickering through the roots, crabs clicking back into burrows, and the way the mud, once dry and cracked, now rests beneath a canopy of green. “I am part of the change,” she says, almost to herself, like a quiet promise whispered to the sea.

A Regional Movement

Langa’s story is repeated across the NMC. In Comoros and Madagascar, similar efforts are under way. In Tanzania, coastal stewardship committees manage restoration areas. In the Seychelles, nurseries trained in grafting speculative coral strains grow fragile fragments for reef rehabilitation.

This  community‑led network stems from regional cooperation. Over two years, WWF and the Nairobi Convention helped frame a roadmap for the region: marine spatial planning, integrated ocean management, poverty alleviation, and capacity building for community entrepreneurs.

A recent Natural Capital Assessment estimated that the region’s natural assets—goods and services from fisheries, tourism, shoreline protection, and carbon sequestration—are valued at USD 160 billion, generating USD 5.5 billion annually, nearly half of GDP. A staggering figure: the informal sector—unmonitored coastal fisheries, wood collection—contributes around USD 5 billion uncounted in national accounts.

World Restoration Flagship Honour

On the announcement, delegates from five nations gathered online. The NMC’s inclusion as a World Restoration Flagship was proof that community-led initiatives can scale to regional impact. It locks in transparency through monitoring, aligns the region with global standards, and increases its appeal to investors.

Petersen reflected afterwards, “This honor can largely be accredited to the extraordinary collaborative work done… to safeguard marine biodiversity and support coastal communities.”

An Unexpected Return

Standing again among the mangroves, Langa watched the early morning mist lift. Fish darted in the submerged root zone. A small boat, headed out to the reef, cut through calm water. The mangroves absorbed the wake and stirred the sediment but firmed the mud, holding it in place.

A tiny crab, bright blue, scuttled across a root. It stopped. Then, like an outtake from a nature film, a juvenile fish fled into the maze of roots. Life was returning—subtle, tenacious, and profound.

Scaling Green Finance

The NMC roadmap estimates a need for USD 18 million per year to implement restoration and institutional strengthening—USD 5 million for in-country governance and USD 13 million to fund a Blue Economy Technical & Investment Hub for the region. The call goes out for public and private investors.

Already, several domestic banks and philanthropic funds are evaluating climate-smart financing. Impact investors are drawn by the anticipated 30 percent rise in household incomes, 2,000 new jobs, and 12 community-based enterprises forecasted by 2030. Carbon finance is another frontier—Madagascar’s mangroves already sequester more than 300 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, comparable to U.S. household electricity.

Under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by UNEP and FAO, countries worldwide aim to restore over a billion hectares, aligning with the commitments of the Paris Agreement, Bonn Challenge, and Kunming-Montreal framework.

The World Restoration Flagships are a cornerstone: scaled, monitored, integrated efforts that follow ten restoration principles—community inclusion, equity, sustainability, evidence, resilience, biodiversity, and more.

In the villages lining the Channel, the visible signs of this transformation—seedlings sprouting, fisheries rebounding—are met with pride. But as Petersen stresses, “The work in this region is only just beginning.” Over the next five years, the challenge will be to keep the momentum flowing, secure consistent funding, and build regional coordination so the restored mangroves don’t merely survive but thrive.

Why This Matters

The NMC story speaks directly to that mission: vibrant, coastal communities working in tandem with nature to heal the world. It embodies a simple but profound truth: restoration is not only about trees, fish, or reefs—it’s about people, too.

Several days later, Langa joined the community for a morning ritual on the beach: a small blessing ceremony for the restored trees. She stood barefoot, clutching a bundle of saplings. Villagers circled. A fisherman recited a soulful song; others placed handfuls of sand at the roots.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, a breeze carried the scent of salt and new life. Langa looked down at the young mangroves and whispered, “For my daughter—and for this Channel—we’re bringing back what we lost.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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At the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Credit: Maximilian Malawista

By Maximilian Malawista
NEW YORK, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

Victims of Japan’s costly Eugenic Protection Law took to the stage sharing their life stories, offering their tragedies of sterilization and mutilation, in return for the hopes of “a society without discrimination”. At a side event on International Sharing of the Experiences and Lessons of Japan’s Former Eugenic Protection Law held on June 10th, The Conference of Parties on the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities Discussed the struggle for Anti eugenic ideology. Hosted by the Japan Disability Forum along with several legal defence teams for the victims, an outline of ideology, policy, and retribution was displayed, in an attempt to fight against “eugenics-based discrimination”.

Japan’s Eugenic Protection Law was enacted in 1948, 3 years after the surrender of the Japanese axis forces to the American allies during WWII. While repealed in 1996, the damage was already done, and no one knew the true cost.

Twenty five thousand people, either having a disability or thought to have a disability were forcefully sterilized, without an apology or compensation.

The side event discussion was opened by Hiroshi Tamon, a lawyer part of the defence team for Eugenic Protection Law. Tamon, who is fully deaf, conveyed his message through sign language, explaining that the side event is to “share the experience of Japanese victims with disabilities and disability organizations who have fought a long and difficult struggle to change Japanese society by eliminating eugenic ideology in Japan”.

Tamon concluded with a wish to “inspire and lead a global action to eliminate eugenics ideology and forced sterilization worldwide” making it clear that he envisions the actions of the Tokyo defence team to carry on to the world stage.

In 2018, one single victim Kita Saburo stood up. Defended by Naoto Sekiya, Kita was awarded 15 million yen (103K$). This led to a string of lawsuits in 2019, leading to the supreme court of Japan ruling the Eugenics Protection Law to be unconstitutional along with a compensation for all the victims marked at 3.2 million yen (22K$).

The new law was soon criticized, due to the low amount and reach, leading to another lawsuit in 2024. An apology from the Prime Minister of Japan followed, with a promise to “work towards doing away with all these discriminations and strengthen educational efforts to create a new structure”.

Two days later, an order for “no discrimination in society” was established, with the creation of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Measures toward the Realization of a Coexisting Society Free from Prejudice and Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. This was followed by an action plan to “promote an inclusive society free from prejudice, discrimination” and ensure compensation for “all victims as well as their spouses”.

In January this year, anyone who went through forced sterilization was paid 15 million yen (103K$ USD). BY THE end of April, only 1,325 of the victims filed for their compensation, accounting for 1.5% of the total people affected.

To combat the law’s limited reach, under a report issued, the government and disability groups would work together to provide alternative communications methods in order to access more information.

The story of Kita Saburo

Kita reading his message at the side event at the UN. Credit: Maximilian Malawista

At the age of 14, while in a juvenile detention facility, Kita was subject to an unknown surgery carried out on him without his consent. Kita was only offered an explanation of “we will remove the bad part”. He did not have any clue what that meant. A month later a senior staff at the facility told him the surgery would prevent him from having children.

According to Kita , the Juvenile detention facility determined that his bad behavior was due to a mental disability, resulting in the decision.

Kita’s sister was aware of the surgery but was strictly ordered to remain quiet by their grandmother. Kita believed “ it was the facility and my parents who made me undergo the surgery”, resulting in resentment toward his parents. He went on to marry later but was unable to tell her of his surgery. The couple often had to hear “Still no children?” bringing immense pain to both Kita and his wife. Kita finally told his wife about the surgery when she was on her deathbed.

In 2018, Kita filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, realizing that he was not the only victim and that his parents were not responsible. His sister finally told him the details of the surgery, testifying in court just before she passed away during the trial.

Even though justice was done, Kitas says “no matter what verdict is handed down, it does not mean we can start our lives over. Eugenic surgery is a tragedy that cannot be undone.”

Kita stated “I want to reduce the number of people who suffered the way I did, even if it’s just by one. That’s why I have chosen to speak out today and share my story and feelings with the world. That’s why I stand here today to talk to you. I sincerely hope that Japan and the entire world will become a society where everyone can make decisions for themselves.”

Kitas story expands on the broad range of the Eugenic Protection Law, whereby the definition of not an intellectually disabled person was still subjected to the surgery.

Following Kita’s message, a couple Keiko Onoue and Takashi Onoue and Yumi Suzuki appeared through video letters to also narrate their stories.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Credit: United Nations
 
The 51st G7 summit is scheduled to take place 15-17 June 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. The G7 consists of seven of the world's largest developed economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States plus the European Union (EU), a non-enumerated member.

By Oxfam
ALBERTA, Canada, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

Aid cuts could cost millions of lives and leave girls, boys, women and men without access to enough food, water, education, health treatment.

G7 countries are making deliberate and deadly choices by cutting life-saving aid, enabling atrocities, and reneging on their international commitments

Low and middle-income countries face reduced aid, rising debt, and trade barriers — a perfect storm that threatens development and recovery.

The Group of Seven (G7) countries, which together account for around three-quarters of all official development assistance, are set to slash their aid spending by 28 percent for 2026 compared to 2024 levels.

It would be the biggest cut in aid since the G7 was established in 1975, and indeed in aid records going back to 1960, reveals a new analysis by Oxfam ahead of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

“The G7’s retreat from the world is unprecedented and couldn’t come at a worse time, with hunger, poverty, and climate harm intensifying. The G7 cannot claim to build bridges on one hand while tearing them down with the other. It sends a shameful message to the Global South, that G7 ideals of collaboration mean nothing,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.

2026 will mark the third consecutive year of decline in G7 aid spending – a trend not seen since the 1990s. If these cuts go ahead, G7 aid levels in 2026 will crash by $44 billion to just $112 billion. The cuts are being driven primarily by the US (down $33 billion), Germany (down $3.5 billion), the UK (down $5 billion) and France (down $3 billion).

“Rather than breaking from the Trump administration’s cruel dismantling of USAID and other US foreign assistance, G7 countries like the UK, Germany, and France are instead following the same path, slashing aid with brutal measures that will cost millions of lives,” said Behar.

“These cuts will starve the hungry, deny medicine to the sick, and block education for a generation of girls and boys. This is a catastrophic betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable and crippling to the G7’s credibility,” said Behar.

Economic projections show that aid cuts will mean 5.7 million more people across Africa will fall below extreme poverty levels in the coming year, a number expected to rocket to 19 million by 2030.

Cuts to aid are putting vital public services at risk in some of the world’s poorest countries. In countries like Liberia, Haiti, Malawi, and South Sudan, US aid had made up over 40 percent of health and education budgets, leaving them especially exposed. Combined with a growing debt crisis, this is undermining governments’ ability to care for their people.

Global aid for nutrition will fall by 44 percent in 2025 compared to 2022:
The end of just $128 million worth of US-funded child nutrition programs for a million children will result in an extra 163,500 child deaths a year.

At the same time, 2.3 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most lethal form of undernutrition – are now at risk of losing their life-saving treatments.

One in five dollars of aid to poor countries’ health budgets are cut or under threat:
WHO reports that in almost three-quarters of its country offices are seeing serious disruptions to health services, and in about a quarter of the countries where it operates some health facilities have already been forced to shut down completely.

US aid cuts could lead to up to 3 million preventable deaths every year, with 95 million people losing access to healthcare. This includes children dying from vaccine-preventable diseases, pregnant women losing access to care, and rising deaths from malaria, TB, and HIV.

G7 countries are not just reneging on commitments to global aid and solidarity, they are fuelling conflicts by allowing grave violations of international law, like in Gaza where people are facing starvation.

Whether in Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or elsewhere, civilians must always be protected, and aid is often the first line of protection they get. G7 countries are illuminating a double standard that risks more global instability, conflict and atrocities.

While G7 countries cut aid, their citizen billionaires continue to see their wealth surge. Since the beginning of 2025, the G7 ultra-rich have made $126 billion, almost the same amount as the group’s 2025 aid commitment of $132 billion.

At this pace, it would take the world’s billionaires less than a month to generate the equivalent of the G7’s 2025 aid budget.

By taxing the super-rich, the G7 could easily meet their financial commitments to end poverty and climate breakdown, whilst also having billions in new revenue to fight inequality in their own countries.

“The world is not short of money. The problem is that it is in the hands of the super-rich instead of the public. Rather than fairly taxing billionaires to feed the hungry, we see billionaires joining government to slash aid to the poorest in order to fund tax cuts for themselves,” said Behar.

Oxfam is calling on the G7 to urgently reverse aid cuts and restore funding to address today’s global challenges. More than 50 years after the United Nations set the target of 0.7 percent for aid spending, most G7 countries remain well below this.

Oxfam is also urging the G7 to support global efforts led by Brazil and Spain to raise taxes on the super-rich, and to back the call from the African Union and The Vatican for a new UN body to help manage countries’ debt problems.

According to OECD Data Explorer, the combined annual aid expenditure of the G7 in 2024 was $156.694 billion. Canada spent $7.323 billion, the United States $61.821 billion, Japan $17.583 billion, France $15.047 billion, Germany $31.382 billion, Italy $6.534 billion, and the United Kingdom $17.005 billion.

Donor Tracker estimates that the decline in combined annual aid spending of the G7 countries for the period 2024 to 2026 will be -$44,488 billion.

In 2024, aid from G7 countries declined by 8 percent, and projections for 2025 point to a sharper drop of 19 percent.

Modelling using finds that 5.7 million more Africans would fall below the US$2.15 extreme poverty income level in the next year if Trump’s administration succeeds in its aid-reduction ambition. This assumes a 20 percent reduction of aid to Africa, considering that some US aid would be maintained as the US alone accounted for 26 percent of aid to Africa before the cuts.

The dismantling of USAID and major aid reductions announced by Western donors threaten to undo decades of progress on malnutrition. A 44 percent drop in funding from 2022 levels could lead to widespread hardship and death.

Up to 2.3 million children with severe acute malnutrition risk losing life-saving treatment, warns the Standing Together for Nutrition Consortium.

There are 2,968 billionaires in the world, and 1,346 live in G7 countries (45 percent).

IPS UN Bureau

 

Four-month-old albatross at its colony at Campo Bosque, Punta Sur on Guadalupe Island. Credit: UNEP/Todd Brown

By Naureen Hossain
NICE, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

At the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognized three countries and regions for their large-scale programs to restore their native ecosystems.

Mexico, Spain, and East Africa are the first three regions named as World Restoration Flagships. They have been recognized for their work tackling invasive species, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation. Altogether, these initiatives are restoring nearly five million hectares of marine ecosystems, which is nearly the size of Costa Rica, the co-host of UNOC3 along with France. They received the award on Thursday at a private event.

The World Restoration Flagships recognize national and regional ecosystem restoration efforts. This is part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration set for 2021-2030, co-led by UNEP and FAO. This programme aims to halt and reverse the degradation of global ecosystems. It is in line with the global commitment under the Paris Agreement to restore one billion hectares of ecosystems. Those recognized under this initiative receive additional UN support.

“After decades of taking the ocean for granted, we are witnessing a great shift towards restoration. But the challenge ahead of us is significant and we need everyone to play their part,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “These World Restoration Flagships show how biodiversity protection, climate action, and economic development are deeply interconnected. To deliver our restoration goals, our ambition must be as big as the ocean we must protect.”

Mafia Island, Tanzania. Sea turtle conservation with Sea Sense. Credit: UNEP / Duncan Moore

“The climate crisis, unsustainable exploitation practices, and nature resources shrinking are affecting our blue ecosystems, harming marine life and threatening the livelihoods of dependent communities,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “These new World Restoration Flagships show that halting and reversing degradation is not only possible, but also beneficial to planet and people.”

In the Northern Mozambique Channel by East Africa, climate change and overfishing are threatening their coral reef systems, which account for 35 percent of the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. At present, Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania are working together to manage, protect, and restore over 87,000 hectares of interconnected land and seascapes.

Actions undertaken today to maintain it include restoration of blue and green forests through creating interconnected restoration corridors, mangroves, and coral reef ecosystems, and improving fisheries management. The mangroves in Madagascar store more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is comparable to the annual electricity use in over 62 million households in the United States. This restoration is expected to increase the capacity of the four countries involved to absorb carbon dioxide and help tackle climate change.

With enough funding, 4.85 million hectares could be restored by 2030, which would likely improve socio-economic development and community well-being by creating over 2000 jobs and 12 community-based enterprises that also integrate indigenous practices.

The Mexican islands have been contending with invasive species that threaten the region’s biodiversity, particularly the seabird populations. Restoration efforts led by government agencies and civil society groups have seen the removal of over 60 populations of invasive species and the return of at least 85 percent of the seabird populations. Continuing efforts would see over 100,000 hectares restored by 2030, encompassing over 100 islands and securing the populations of 300 endemic mammals, birds, and reptiles in the islands. The continued programme also provides support to local island communities, without whom the restoration efforts would be more challenging. Based on this success, Mexico plans to go forward with a national environmental restoration program aimed at revitalizing the country’s ecosystems.

Isabel Rubio (activist) and Ramon (activist) monitoring pollution of runoff water near the Mar Menor, Spain. Credit: UNEP/Todd Brown

“Across Mexico’s precious islands, tangible restoration actions and results are breathing new life into vital ecosystems, directly bolstering rich insular and marine biodiversity of global relevance, saving species, and weaving firm threads into the livelihoods of local communities,” said Dr. Marina Robles García, Undersecretary of Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration, Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).

The Mar Menor lagoon in the southwest of Spain is Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, and its unique characteristics contribute to local tourism and a unique biodiversity. This has been threatened by nitrous discharge from agricultural activity, and other polluting land and marine activities, leading to the lagoon’s rapid degradation and significant losses in the fish population.

Through a citizen-led initiative, in 2022 Spain’s courts granted legal personhood to Mar Menor, the first ecosystem in Europe to be granted that status. A group of activists, scientists, and legal officials now represents the lagoon. Other actions include a government-led initiative to restore and recover Mar Menor through cleaning up abandoned and polluted mining sites, improving flood risk management and supporting sustainable agriculture, among other measures. This also includes a proposed green belt around the lagoon that is predicted to absorb more than 82,256 tons of CO₂ by 2040. Over 8700 hectares may be restored by 2030.

“Our work is grounded in listening, commitment, and innovation. We have listened to the Mar Menor and its people; participation drives the entire process, with a firm commitment to restoring this exceptional ecosystem and its values, with no possibility of turning back,” said Third Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen Muñoz. “We knew that our credibility as a society and the future of new generations were at stake. We could not let them down.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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• ‘Ocean Health Is Inseparable From Human Health, Climate Stability’—UN Chief Urges Swift Action, Partnership for Ocean Conference

Fishers in Tanzania's Lake Victoria drag seized fishing nets to deter overfishing of dwindling nile perch stocks. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

As the curtains draw on the UN Ocean Conference, a flurry of voluntary commitments and political declarations has injected fresh impetus into global efforts to conserve marine biodiversity. With the world’s oceans facing unprecedented threats, high-level biodiversity officials and negotiators are sounding the alarm and calling for renewed momentum—and funding—to deliver on long-standing promises.

At a press briefing today, conservation leaders stressed that integrating marine biodiversity into broader biodiversity frameworks and aligning funding strategies with climate goals will be essential for African governments to turn the tide.

“It is a moment of reckoning,” declared Astrid Schomacher, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). “We are not on track to meet our 2030 biodiversity targets. Yet, the political energy here reminds us that progress is still possible—if we move together and fast.”

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets out 23 urgent action targets to be achieved by 2030, aiming to halt biodiversity loss and safeguard nature’s contributions to people. These goals call for the protection and restoration of ecosystems, with at least 30 percent of land and sea areas conserved and degraded habitats restored. The framework urges halting species extinction, curbing pollution and invasive species, and mitigating climate impacts on biodiversity.

It also emphasizes sustainable use of wild species, greener urban spaces, and benefit-sharing from genetic resources. Crucially, it calls for integrating biodiversity into policies and business practices, redirecting harmful subsidies, boosting global finance for biodiversity to USD 200 billion annually, and strengthening capacity and cooperation, especially for developing nations. The roadmap recognizes the vital role of Indigenous peoples, equity, and inclusive governance in reversing nature loss, in line with the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

African governments are lagging behind in meeting global biodiversity and sustainability targets, currently spending just 0.43 percent of their GDP on research and development—less than half the global average. With only five years left to meet key conservation goals, a new study by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Johannesburg urges African policymakers to strengthen collaboration with biodiversity experts.

Schomacher drew attention to the pivotal role of the upcoming COP17 summit, to be hosted by Armenia in 2026, as a “global stocktaking moment” to assess progress halfway through the eight-year timeline for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022.

“Every single target in our framework is ocean-related,” she said. “From coastal habitats to deep-sea ecosystems, the ocean is the heartbeat of biodiversity—and it must be protected as such.”

The Yerevan COP, Schomacher added, will also serve to reinforce linkages with the new High Seas Treaty, formally known as the BBNJ agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), which many see as a game-changing tool to protect vast, under-governed marine areas.

“CBD processes can kickstart BBNJ implementation,” she explained. “We’re talking about identifying ecologically significant areas, harmonizing spatial planning, and aligning national biodiversity strategies with climate and ocean action. The pieces are there—we just need to connect them.”

Funding Gaps and Harmful Subsidies

But ambition alone won’t be enough, speakers warned. The persistent lack of financial resources—especially for civil society, Indigenous groups, and developing countries—is threatening to unravel hard-won gains.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Robert Abhisohromonyan, was rather emphatic in his assertions: “Military expenditures reached USD 2.7 trillion last year. That’s a 9.4 percent increase—and money that could have gone toward the Sustainable Development Goals, climate resilience, or biodiversity protection.”

He also called for an inclusive COP17 that “puts transparency and participation at the center,” with Indigenous peoples, youth, and local communities having a seat at the decision-making table.

Echoing this, Schomacher warned that harmful subsidies—those that damage ecosystems or encourage overexploitation of natural resources—also account for USD 2.7 trillion annually, a figure matching global defense spending.

“This is why, under the global biodiversity framework, parties committed to identifying and eliminating USD 500 billion in harmful subsidies by 2030,” she said. “If we succeed, we not only close the funding gap—we make real gains for nature.”

Private Sector: From Philanthropy to Investment

In a candid exchange with journalists, speakers also grappled with how to better engage the private sector.

“We have to move beyond viewing biodiversity as a philanthropic cause,” Schomacher said. “Nature-based solutions are investable. But the knowledge and confidence to invest in biodiversity are still low compared to renewable energy or infrastructure.”

She cited the Cardi Fund, a new financing mechanism supporting fair benefit-sharing from digital genetic resources, as one example of innovation. The fund seeks contributions from companies using DNA sequence data to build commercial products—reversing the traditional imbalance between biotech profits and Indigenous stewardship.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s a start,” she noted.

Ocean at the Center of Solutions

For Armenia, a landlocked country, hosting COP17 may seem an unlikely choice. Yet Abhisohromonyan made clear that Armenia sees the ocean as central to its environmental agenda.

“We are proof that ocean conservation is not the sole responsibility of coastal states,” he said. “By protecting inland ecosystems and water sources, we support the health of rivers that feed into the seas. It’s all connected.”

Armenia has signed the BBNJ agreement and is developing its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to reflect integrated ecosystem management.

But globally, uptake remains sluggish. Of 196 parties to the CBD, only 52 have submitted revised NBSAPs, with just 132 countries submitting national targets so far. Officials say this inertia could jeopardize the global review scheduled for Yerevan.

“We are urging all parties to submit their updated plans and reports by February 2026,” Abhisohromonyan said. “The clock is ticking, and our window for course correction is narrow.”

A Crisis—But Also a Chance

Wrapping up the discussion, Schomacher reflected on the legacy of previous ocean conferences and the urgency of acting on momentum now.

“UN Ocean Conference Two in Portugal gave us the energy to adopt the global biodiversity framework. UNOC3 must now galvanize the political will to implement it,” she said.

“We’re at a crisis point. But if we treat this as an opportunity—not just to protect what remains, but to restore what we’ve lost—we may just chart a new course for our ocean and for all life on Earth.”

As global leaders head into the final plenary, where a political declaration is expected to be adopted, conservationists are watching closely—hoping that the pledges made this week will translate into lasting action for the planet’s blue heart.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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By CIVICUS
Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

 
CIVICUS discusses struggles for historical justice with Graciela Montes de Oca, a member of Mothers and Relatives of Detained and Disappeared Uruguayans, a Uruguayan civil society organisation that seeks truth, justice and prevention of future crimes like those committed under dictatorship.

Graciela Montes de Oca

Since 1996, Uruguayan civil society has mobilised in a March of Silence every 20 May. This year, thousands of people took part in the march’s 30th edition along the main avenue of the capital, Montevideo, and other Uruguayan cities. They demanded truth, memory and justice for people detained and disappeared under dictatorship between 1973 and 1985. Organised by human rights groups and relatives of victims, this demonstration has become a powerful symbol of collective memory.

What’s commemorated on 20 May?

On 20 May 1976, one of the most brutal episodes of state terrorism in the Southern Cone took place. At that time, Uruguay was living under a civil-military dictatorship that participated in Operation Condor, a regional agreement between several countries ruled by dictatorships that coordinated the kidnapping, torture and murder of political opponents.

Four Uruguayans were murdered in Buenos Aires, Argentina that day: Congressman Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz, Senator Zelmar Michelini and two leftist activists, Rosario Barredo and William Whitelaw. Doctor Manuel Liberoff was also kidnapped at the same time and has been missing ever since.

The impact was devastating. Michelini and Gutiérrez Ruiz were prominent political figures and defenders of democracy who had sought asylum in Argentina after denouncing the crimes of the Uruguayan dictatorship. Their murder was an attempt to silence their critical voices forever.

How did the March of Silence come about?

The first March of Silence took place in 1996, on the 20th anniversary of the murders. Initially conceived as a one-off tribute, its profound impact meant the Mothers of the Disappeared decided to turn it into an annual event.

The march has unique characteristics that distinguish it from other demonstrations: it is completely silent, open to all citizens regardless of political affiliation and maintains a peaceful nature that enhances its symbolic power. Its persistence over three decades has made it much more than a protest: it’s a collective ritual of memory that keeps the demand for truth and justice alive.

Our demands remain unchanged: we want to know what happened to our missing relatives. We are not seeking revenge, but rather to prevent these crimes going unpunished and being repeated. The Uruguayan state must investigate and respond because these crimes were committed in its name. Justice is not only our right; it is the state’s obligation under international law.

How do civil society groups support this struggle?

Civil society groups have played a key role in keeping this cause alive. Through talks, artistic interventions, exhibitions, sporting events and other activities, they constantly reinforce collective memory. Civil society also promotes the restoration of historical sites and memorials and highlights cases that remain unresolved.

All of these efforts converge towards a shared goal: ensuring there will never again be state terrorism in Uruguay.

What obstacles remain to uncovering the truth?

The main obstacle is the pact of silence maintained by the military and civilians responsible for the crimes. This mafia code keeps the truth hidden.

The consequences are tangible and painful: without information on the location of the remains of those allegedly murdered, forensic teams are working in the dark. We know there are files containing vital information that are either hidden or inaccessible. That is why we demand the state actively searches for these files, locates them and hands them over.

The international community also has responsibilities. It must pressure the Uruguayan state to fulfil its obligations under international human rights law, including full compliance with existing international rulings.

In 2011, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the Uruguayan state was responsible for the enforced disappearance of two activists – María Claudia García Iruretagoyena de Gelman and her husband, Marcelo Ariel Gelman Schubaroff – and for appropriating and removing the identity of their daughter, who was born in captivity. This judgment has been the subject of multiple resolutions, most recently in 2020, which continue to monitor compliance with the reparations ordered.

Meanwhile, after examining Uruguay in 2013 and 2022, the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances issued binding concluding observations expressing concern about the slow pace of investigations and calling for judicial processes to be accelerated. These two international pronouncements clearly establish the state’s obligation to guarantee truth, justice and reparation for victims. Truth and justice have no statute of limitations.

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Uruguay: Concerns over anti-union allegations; Suspension of Media Decree signals positive development CIVICUS Monitor 22.Apr.2025
Uruguay: ‘The far right is still marginal; there’s a majority commitment to democracy’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Alicia Lissidini 09.Jan.2025
Uruguay: ‘We don’t need a new media law, but proper implementation of the existing one’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Fabián Werner 04.Jun.2024

 

Delegates discuss preparations for the high-level conference at UN Headquarters in New York. May 2025. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 13 2025 (IPS)

The United States, a longstanding and unyielding Israeli ally, is threatening UN member states urging them to keep off an upcoming high-level meeting aimed at recognizing a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

The meeting, to be co-chaired by France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and Saudi Arabia, a strong political ally of the US, is scheduled to take place June 17-20.

According to the London Guardian, the Trump administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending the conference.

The diplomatic demarche, sent out last week, says countries that take “anti-Israel actions” following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington.

“The United States opposes the implied support of the conference for potential actions including boycotts and sanctions on Israel as well as other punitive measures,” the cable read.

The United States also opposes “any steps that would unilaterally recognise a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies,” according to the cable cited by the Jerusalem Post.

Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and former director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch, told IPS
the international community should reject the Trump administration’s naked bullying to stop them from attending a conference on Palestinian statehood.

She said the international community has a legal and moral duty to help end Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid rule.

“The United States finds itself more and more isolated from the rest of the world because of its destructive obeisance to Israeli diktat,” Whitson declared.

“It is absolutely essential to keep alive the two-State solution perspective with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters last week.

“And for those that doubt about the two-State solution, I ask: What is the alternative? Is it a one-state solution in which either the Palestinians are expelled or forced to live in their land without rights?”

Meanwhile, the longtime pro-Israeli Western alliance seems to be on the verge of gradually crumbling?

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) last week warmly welcomed the decision jointly made by five Western nations – the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Norway–in imposing sanctions on two extremist ministers in the Israeli government.

The move was considered “an important step toward upholding justice and accountability and ending impunity enjoyed by the Israeli officials involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, incitement to violence, organized terrorism, and genocide. “

The OIC said it “strongly condemned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s storming, once again, of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces”.

It cited it as a further provocation to the feelings of all Muslims and a dangerous escalation of the Israeli occupation’s plots aiming to change the historical and legal situation of the holy sites in Jerusalem, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

As outlined in General Assembly resolution 79/81, next week’s Conference will produce an action-oriented outcome document entitled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution”.

Meanwhile, two European countries –Spain and Ireland– have recognized Palestine as a sovereign nation state.

Dr. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, and coordinator of the program in Middle Eastern Studies, told IPS rather than recognizing how Israeli security and Palestinian rights are mutually dependent on each other, the Trump administration, echoing the far right in Israel, is insisting that it is a zero-sum game.

In their view, he pointed out, any talk of a two-state solution—even a mini-state on just 22% of historic Palestine—is “anti-Israel.”

“The fact that, rather than simply boycotting the conference, the administration is threatening diplomatic consequences towards nations that attend in indicative of the extreme measures they are willing to take in support of Israeli expansionism,” he said.

Democratic foreign policy has not been much different, however.

While claiming to support a two-state solution, Dr Zunes pointed out, successive Democratic administrations and Congressional leaders have refused to recognize the State of Palestine.

Along with Israel, they have vetoed UN resolutions allowing Palestine to join as a member, have even withdrawn from UN entities which include Palestine, and have opposed pressuring Israel to allow for the emergence of a Palestinian state while categorically ruled out supporting Palestinian statehood outside of Israeli terms—even as the Israeli government has categorically ruled it out.

In practice, then, little has changed in regard to U.S. policy, declared Dr Zunes.

Asked for a UN response to the US warning against participation in next week’s conference, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters Wednesday: “I believe that all the Member States of the system will make their own decisions, according to what their own interests are”

“But we expect that there will be widespread attendance at this meeting. And the Secretary-General in his stakeout appearance last week explained exactly the importance of keeping the two-state solution alive.

With the lack of support from United States, how much of the possibility is still there for a two-state solution?

“I think the Secretary-General has been very clear and very straightforward about what the challenges are that the two-state solution faces. And he’s also been clear, as he told you last Friday, what are the alternatives to it?

“We need to have a solution where the people of Israel and the people of Palestine can live side by side in peace and security. This is the one solution that the international community has embraced and has been able to try to push forward over the years.”

“Obviously, there are challenges facing it, and they’re extremely clear at this moment. But this is the way forward that we have, and we have to embrace it”, said Haq.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

By Yasmine Sherif
NEW YORK, Jun 12 2025 (IPS-Partners)

As we mark today’s World Day Against Child Labour, we must confront an urgent global truth: over 160 million children around the world are engaged in child labour – many of them in the most dangerous, degrading and life-limiting conditions imaginable. These are children forced to work in fields, factories and conflict zones – deprived of their right to safety, to dignity and, above all, to an education.

At Education Cannot Wait (ECW), we know that education is the single most powerful tool we have to break this cycle of poverty, exploitation and lost potential. Education offers children worldwide a pathway to a better life: a life where their dreams, not their circumstances, define their future.

In crisis-affected contexts, where children are most at risk, access to quality education is truly a lifeline – shielding girls and boys from violence, forced labour, child marriage, trafficking and other atrocities.

Together, we are doing something about it. Delivered with our strategic donor partners, ECW’s investments have already reached over 11 million children and adolescents in crisis settings. This is an investment in an end to child labour, an end to unfair working conditions, an end to cycles of poverty, displacement, violence and chaos.

This global crisis demands global action. We must increase financing for education in emergencies and protracted crises, strengthen child protection systems, and empower communities to keep children – especially girls and boys living on the frontlines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises – safe and in school.

ECW calls on world leaders, donors, civil society and the private sector to unite in solidarity and take bold, collective action. Every dollar invested in education is an investment in sustainable economic development, global security and resilient societies. Every dollar invested in education is an investment to end child labour – now and forever.

Let us act with urgency. Let us act with compassion. And let us act with the unwavering belief that every child – regardless of who they are or where they live – has the right to a quality education and the freedom to learn, grow and thrive.

 

Excerpt:

World Day Against Child Labour Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif

'Aulani Wilhelm (left) and Lysa Win (right) of Nia Tero in UNOC3. Credit: Naureen Hossain/IPS

By Naureen Hossain
NICE, France, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) has seen a significant presence from Indigenous peoples, who insist that their perspective and guidance be taken into account in the global efforts for sustainable ocean use and conservation. The sense of responsibility to the ocean and recognition of its history is an example that the international community can learn from.

What seems to be distinguishing UNOC3 from the previous ocean conferences is a greater motivation and recognition from world governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to work alongside Indigenous groups and local communities to reach global targets. As ‘Aulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, told IPS, there has been a shift in the language from leaders calling for equity, justice, and the recognition of indigenous peoples in the ocean community.

“I think that there is increasing, kind of shared sentiment not only about what the threats are… but why we have to come together and not let the specific ideas and different segments of the ocean space hold us back and keep the arguments inside,” Wilhelm said at the conference. Nia Tero is an NGO dedicated to promoting the role and influence of Indigenous people as stewards and guardians of the natural world in protecting planetary life.

Some of the initiatives introduced during UNOC3 showcase the important role Indigenous peoples play in the agenda. There is the recently announced Melanesian Ocean Reserve, the first Indigenous-led, multinational ocean reserve, which will encompass the combined national waters of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, accounting for over 6 million square kilometers. Wilhelm also noted the formation of an indigenous ocean alliance, which organically took shape during the conference.

Some government leaders have stated that they will work with Indigenous peoples and local communities, which Wilhelm remarked was an important change in both language and intention.

“We’re no longer having the conversation of ‘let us do something for you, but let us look to indigenous leaders to lead and how can we work alongside them?’ That is it. That is a sea change—pun intended—of where the ocean community is going… We have a long way to go, but these are signals […], embers that are igniting, that are enabling this to happen. So let’s find those leaders and let’s back them up.”

“The only time-tested approach to really having healthy ecosystems and people is indigenous guardianship, so let’s invest there.”

What indigenous guardianship means to Wilhelm is the collective, intergenerational connection to the wider natural world, or a sense of place. “These places are their relations—they are kin. They are home. They are not separate,” she said. “Indigenous guardianship isn’t something we have to create. It is already there.”

“With indigenous guardianship, it is also about responsibility. It is a responsibility to take care of home and life around them,” said Lysa Win, Nia Tero’s Pasifik Director. “It is about people who have lived for centuries with place and have that deep connection and have built knowledge and systems.”

Win pointed to the example back in her home, the Solomon Islands, where Indigenous peoples still live in their territories, which they have sovereignty over and can apply their knowledge. Even when there are different knowledge systems, there can be a balance in employing that information without insisting that one is better than the other. “There’s different knowledge around, but to help complement it with what we have.”

There can be challenges in conveying the principles behind indigenous guardianship to people outside those communities, especially within the context of a climate forum. According to Wilhelm, there is the risk of presenting their worldview in a “reductionist” language for the sake of having to validate it, and that can be frustrating. Win told IPS that she is conscious of the language she uses when sharing her perspective as an indigenous woman because it can seem deceptively simple by comparison.

Both she and Wilhelm noted that in the global climate discussions, indigenous people’s engagement was just as important, if not more so, than the knowledge they brought to the table, and that they had to establish that they were not attending on behalf of their communities and did not speak for them entirely.

Indigenous guardianship is rooted in communities feeling an intrinsic connection to the natural world, and the knowledge and kinship that come from that connection are shared across generations. To Wilhelm, this is a mindset for how people have a relationship with place and recognize the value of the ocean.

“Helping other people see the importance of the ‘how’ and the time and the values that you would put into it, that is going to guide better decision-making,” she said. “People want to understand, ‘what is the magic of ‘indigenous guardianship?’ It’s really simple: it’s relationship-based. It’s really being values-led, values of continuing care, not exploitation and extraction… Being able to have enough and making sure we can thrive and that our ancestral components of nature can thrive.”

Win added that indigenous guardianship comes from a place of strength where the people adapt to the change and transformation happening to the ocean. “With these changes, we have created knowledge and transformed our knowledge over time as well, and that is what we’re bringing, sharing our stories here so that there is that place of hope. How can we [work] together to deal with this crisis?”

UNOC3 has provided the opportunity for the exchange of knowledge. It has also brought the opportunity to bring a perspective that prioritizes care for the ocean through the lens of knowledge from the past and consideration for the future, rather than to externalize the issue. It has brought generations together with vastly different perspectives on climate action. Win noted that the sense of responsibility to place and future generations is relevant for women community leaders.

This can be illustrated through the example seen in a panel event held at the sidelines of UNOC3, which included a screening for the documentary ‘Remathu: People of the Ocean,’ about Nicole Yamase, the first Micronesian woman to dive into the deepest parts of the ocean. Wilhelm described how Sylvia Earle, CEO of Mission Blue and a celebrated marine biologist, was in attendance, where she and other panelists were “really raw and really honest” about their experiences in the field and what that meant as a “show of support to younger women.”

“They came to make sure that Nicole Yamase didn’t face the same kind of challenges that they did when they were the pioneers in the field… that is the human experience about what does it feel like to not be enough when you are doing extraordinary things for the ocean, as examples for other women,” she said. “Women are not… just that sense of ‘not enough,’ and how do you break through it and how do you bring your community along? That story [film] wasn’t about Nicole; it was about her as a member of her community and what it means to be able to give back.”

Win said, “The indigenous voice that we’re bringing, it should not just be in text. It should not stop there. It should be global lessons and continually looking at each other, with us learning from them and them learning from us. Putting that into solutions and into texts at these global forums.”

“Our voices have not been heard, listened to, or included. I don’t say that as a victim; I say that as, ‘If we want to get on with this, we better get serious!’,” said Wilhelm. “These are the voices and knowledge-holders that will bring a different sense of what the problem is and the solutions that we need to fix it.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Related Articles

• Pacific Leaders Call for Bold Climate Action in Ocean Conference
• Ocean Health Is Inseparable From Human Health, Climate Stability’—UN Chief Urges Swift Action, Partnership for Ocean Conference

Josephine Latu-Sanft, media and communications officer with the International Maritime Organization, poses with experts from the maritime industry during a panel discussion at UNOC3. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)

Once cast as a culprit of ocean degradation, the global shipping industry is quietly reshaping its image—with experts now betting on it as a key ally in saving our seas.

Transporting more than 80 percent of global trade and generating over USD 930 billion annually, shipping is often perceived as an invisible force behind the products we use daily. But at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, industry leaders and scientists gathered to ask a provocative question: Can shipping be part of the solution to the ocean’s mounting crises?

For Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright, Chair of the UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), the answer is nuanced.

“If I could start with my usual rant—just a reminder that there is only one global ocean. Just as there’s no Planet B, there is no spare ocean,” she said, stressing that climate change, marine pollution, and invasive species are the most urgent threats facing ocean health today.

From her perspective, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the broader shipping sector are not standing still. “The IMO and maritime sector have been working to address many of these issues,” she explained, citing actions against marine plastic litter, biofouling, and greenhouse gas emissions. “GESAMP provides authoritative, independent scientific advice to support the protection of the marine environment. Our strength is our independence—and that we bring emerging issues to the table before they hit the headlines.”

Indeed, one of shipping’s major breakthroughs, the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, was born out of scientific assessments provided by GESAMP. The convention aims to stem the tide of invasive aquatic species transferred between ecosystems via ships’ ballast tanks—waters that are taken on in one port to stabilize ships and released in another, often with unintended ecological consequences.

“Invasive species can devastate marine ecosystems when they’re introduced into environments without natural predators,” said Watson-Wright. “Once they’re established, you can’t get rid of them.”

A Friend, Not a Foe

Simon Doran, Chair of the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety, admitted that shipping has not always been viewed kindly in environmental circles—but he believes the tides are turning.

“The perception out there was that the maritime industry was the villain. But today, shipping has the opportunity to be the good guy,” said Doran. “Shipping contributes only 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions—and we are on track to reduce that further. With IMO incentives and decarbonization goals, shipping will become net-zero. It would be good if other industries followed our lead.”

Doran pointed to the Ballast Water Convention as a success story, explaining how it compelled shipping companies to invest in new technologies that reduce the risk of alien species wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. “That was the first step. The next will be stronger policies and broader adoption of sustainable practices.”

Yet, the road to transformation is not without hurdles.

“The two biggest barriers are regulatory uncertainty and high commercial costs,” said Doran. “That’s where partnerships like the Global Industry Alliance come in—we bring together businesses, from coating firms to shipping operators, to share solutions and push for standards that make sustainability feasible.”

Bringing Developing Nations Onboard

Gyorgyi Gurban, Head of Project Implementation at the IMO, emphasized that while regulations are essential, the organization is equally focused on ensuring these policies are implemented—especially in developing countries.

“We are not just regulators; we are partners in implementation,” said Gurban. “We have growing portfolios of ocean-related projects in areas like ship recycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and marine litter.”

Gurban rejected the notion that shipping is a niche sector. “Shipping has always been central to global trade and sustainable development. While most of the companies may be headquartered in developed countries, the biggest ports and trade routes run through the Global South,” she said. “Developing countries have much to gain from shipping’s green transition—they could become providers of alternative fuels or hubs for sustainable port services.”

To that end, the IMO is working closely with governments and communities in developing nations to build capacity, transfer technology, and support local infrastructure.

“Our approach is twofold,” she explained. “International regulations apply to all ships, regardless of the flag they fly. But we also back this up with technical cooperation projects so that developing countries can effectively implement these rules.”

The Science-Policy Nexus

For Watson-Wright, the key to unlocking shipping’s potential lies in science-led policymaking.

“Everywhere you turn at this conference, people are talking about the importance of evidence-based decision-making,” she noted. “That’s music to my ears.”

Founded in 1969, GESAMP has long been the scientific conscience of the marine world, producing independent assessments that feed into UN policy debates. Its members, chosen for their expertise and not their nationality, provide unvarnished scientific input to nine UN agencies, including the IMO.

“Our advice must be authoritative and independent,” said Watson-Wright. “That’s what gives it strength.”

A Sector at a Crossroads

Despite the momentum, shipping’s journey toward sustainability is far from over. From decarbonization to digitalization and waste management, the sector must navigate a complex web of challenges.

But for Gurban, that’s precisely what makes the moment ripe for action.

“Shipping isn’t just about moving goods—it’s about enabling livelihoods, supporting economies, and now, safeguarding the ocean,” she said. “By linking robust regulation, cutting-edge science, and inclusive implementation, we can turn this global industry into a global solution.”

Backed by science and bolstered by international cooperation, shipping may not just carry goods across the seas—it could also help carry the world toward a more sustainable blue future.

“Shipping is no longer the villain,” said Doran. “We’re ready to be the hero the ocean needs.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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• ‘A Wake-Up Call from the Womb’—Indigenous People Rally for a Binding Plastics Treaty

Water floods in, showing how nature and people are at risk. Trees can't grow because of salt, leaving no protection. This photo warns about climate change's effect on the islands and atolls. Credit: Gitty Keziah Yee/Tuvalu

By Cecilia Russell
NICE, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)

Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo, describes himself as an optimist—despite the existential crisis his atoll nation faces with climate change-induced sea level rise and frustration with existing international financial mechanisms to fund adaptation and mitigation.

The 3rd UN Ocean Conference was a success, he told a press conference today, June 12. At the beginning of the week, he ratified an agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and was also now party to the FAO’s international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA).

These agreements were crucial.

“The ocean is everything to us—a source of protein, income, and fisheries. It represents  40 percent of the domestic budget. It plays a vital role,” Teo said. But it is a double-edged sword because it also represents the greatest threat because of climate change-induced sea level rise, which for the atoll nation means that more than 50 percent of the country will be regularly inundated by tidal surges by 2050.

So, he needs to contemplate services for the needs of his people in a region where there is no scenario of moving to higher ground—because there isn’t any.

Tuvalu is “totally flat.”

Teo said USD 40-million had been spent on the country’s flagship Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, known as TK of which phase one was completed.

But behind the small success was a clear sense of frustration.

“The coastal adaptation projects will continue into the future,” Teo said. “But it is a very expensive exercise.

Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, addresses the media at UNOC3. Credit: SPC

He made a quiet plea to development partners and financing mechanisms to be responsive.

“I’ve always urged or requested our development partners and our international financing mechanisms to be able to be more forthcoming in terms of providing the necessary climate financing that we need for us to be able to adapt and give us more time to continue to live in the land that we believe God has given us,” Teo said.

But he later admitted that the frustration with the Loss and Damage Fund and other climate financing mechanisms meant that applications could take as many as eight years to complete. This led to his Pacific partners establishing the Pacific Resilience Facility that would allow the Pacific to invest in small, grant-based but high-impact projects to make communities disaster-ready.

Teo said the UNOC3 had given them an opportunity to articulate their concerns, and he hoped that the states participating in the conference had listened to them.

“We don’t have that influence—except to continue to tell our story.”

The Pacific French Summit was a particular highlight and he believed that French President Emmanuel Macron had the region at heart.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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• Vanuatu Anticipates New Era With Climate Change Reparations
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Fishers at Magogoni fish market. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)

Just before dawn, the worn wooden dhows begin gliding toward the shore at Magogoni fish market in Tanzania’s port city of Dar es Salaam. Their tattered sails flutter against the orange sky. Exhausted fishers step out onto the muddy sand, hauling frayed nets and plastic crates, their sun-creased faces tight with fatigue.

The Magogoni scene — women wrapped in colourful khanga bargaining over a modest catch, children darting between upturned buckets, and the pungent smell of raw sewage pouring into the sea through a rusted pipe — doesn’t deter anyone.

It is a struggle for survival for thousands of small-scale fishers who rely on the Indian Ocean to put food on their families’ dinner tables.

Yet today, one certain thing emerges.

More than 7,000 kilometres away in the French Riviera, global leaders, marine scientists, and policymakers gathered this week for the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference. The conference saw the launch of the Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The report laid bare the crisis confronting the world’s oceans — and sounded a dire warning for fisher communities in Tanzania who rely on the sea to eke out a living.

According to the FAO, just 47.4 percent of fish stocks in the Eastern Central Atlantic are currently fished at sustainable levels. The rest are either overexploited or facing collapse, pushed to the brink by climate change, weak governance, and a lack of data.

“We now have the clearest picture ever of the state of marine fisheries,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu told delegates. “The next step is clear: governments must scale up what works and act with urgency.”

For fishers like Daudi Kileo (51), who has spent decades at sea, that urgency is overdue. “We don’t get enough catch these days, but we keep working hard,” he told IPS by phone all the way from Dar es Salaam; dragging a nearly empty net across the sand is disheartening, he said.

In Tanzania, most fishers operate informally. Their boats lack sensors or licences. Their harvests go unrecorded. There are no quotas, no conservation enforcement, and little training on sustainable practices. Each night, they sail into deep waters hoping to return with enough to make ends meet — increasingly, they don’t.

“Sometimes we come back with less than we need to feed our children,” Kileo says. “But we do not have a choice.”

While fishing  communities in Tanzania  are battling overfishing and declining catches, other parts of the world point to a different future. In Port Lympia, Nice’s harbour, the wafting air carries no pungent smell to disturb visiting dignitaries. Small boats bob idly; many seem to be ferrying tourists instead of chasing fish. It is a glimpse into what can be achieved when policies favour protection over exploitation and when economies evolve beyond extraction.

“There’s a future where the ocean can feed us sustainably,” said Professor Manuel Barange, Director of the FAO Fisheries Division. “But it requires deep, structural change — and fast.”

Leisure boats at Port Lympia, Nice, where the UNOC3 is being held. Credit: Cecilia Russell/IPS

Central to that change is the FAO’s Blue Transformation initiative, an ambitious strategy aimed at transforming aquatic food systems through sustainable practices, robust governance, and inclusion. The plan targets improved monitoring, ethical fishing practices, and expansion of responsible aquaculture while combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing — a major threat to fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities.

However, turning that vision into reality in low-income countries like Tanzania remains a monumental challenge.

“We don’t have the tools or the support,” says Yahya Mgawe, a researcher at the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute. “The fishers are many, our data is patchy, and enforcement is weak. We are falling behind,” he told IPS in Nice.

The consequences are  dire. Tanzania’s fisheries sector employs more than 180,000 people, the vast majority in small-scale operations. Fish provide not only income but vital nutrition, especially in rural areas. Yet as climate change alters fish migration and breeding patterns, and as competition intensifies in overfished waters, traditional knowledge is no longer enough to sustain livelihoods.

“Everything is shifting,” says Nancy Iraba a  marine ecologist at the University of Dar es Salaam. “Species that were once common are disappearing. Fish are getting smaller. And the time and effort fishers must invest is increasing, with diminishing returns.”

The FAO report highlights that in regions with better regulation and investment in science — such as the Northeast Pacific — over 90 percent of fish stocks are harvested sustainably. These gains, experts say, come from stringent quotas, real-time data collection, and cooperation across borders.

But in Africa and other parts of the Global South, the disparity is widening.

“The fishers of Tanzania are not the cause of ocean depletion,” says Iraba. “But they are among the first to pay the price.”

Recognising this injustice, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu used the conference platform to champion small-scale fishers as “guardians of biodiversity” and crucial actors in global food security. He urged countries to include them in decision-making processes and policy implementation.

“Fishers are not just producers,” Dongyu said. “They are nutrition providers and economic anchors in coastal societies. Transformation must be environmental, social, and economic — all at once.”

He also made a call to invest in youth participation, noting that as the global population nears 10 billion, young people must be empowered to innovate within the marine sector. “They must be leaders, not just observers,” he emphasised.

Yet progress remains slow. While sustainable fishery landings now represent 82.5 percent of global totals — a modest improvement — the share of overfished stocks globally still stands at 35.4 percent. And despite ambitious global targets to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030, only 2.7% of oceans are currently effectively protected.

The financial gap is just as wide. Experts estimate that up to USD 175 billion a year is needed to achieve sustainable fisheries transformation, but pledges remain far short of that figure.

As the conference concludes on Friday, FAO marked its 80th anniversary and 30 years of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries with a renewed push for innovation, including a new recognition programme for responsible aquaculture.

“Effective management is the best conservation,” Dongyu reminded delegates. “Our oceans, rivers, and lakes can help feed the world — but only if we use their resources responsibly, sustainably, and equitably.”

Back in Dar es Salaam, the boats of Magogoni are already being readied for another night. The sun rises higher, casting long shadows across the fish-streaked sand.

“We hear empty talk of big meetings and policies all the time,” says Kileo. “But nobody comes here to ask us how we survive. Nobody helps us when the fish disappear.”

His words hang in the salty air, a quiet reminder that unless the voices of small-scale fishers are included in the global vision for sustainable seas, the transformation may leave the most vulnerable behind.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

 

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The scene of a destruction caused by the war in Ukraine. Credit: UNOCHA/Dmytro Filipskyy

By the Peace Research Institute Oslo
OSLO, Norway, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)

The world is experiencing a surge in violence not seen since the post-World War II era. 2024 marked a grim new record: the highest number of state-based armed conflicts in over seven decades.

A staggering 61 conflicts were recorded across 36 countries last year, according to PRIO’s Conflict Trends: A Global Overview report. “This is not just a spike – it’s a structural shift. The world today is far more violent, and far more fragmented, than it was a decade ago,” warned Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and lead author of the report.

“Now is not the time for the United States – or any global power – to retreat from international engagement. Isolationism in the face of rising global violence would be a profound mistake with long-term human life consequences.”

The report is based on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. It shows that while the number of battle-related deaths in 2024 held steady at approximately 129,000 – matching the devastating toll of 2023 – this level of violence was far above the average for the past three decades. 2024 was the fourth most deadly year since the Cold War ended in 1989.

Two major wars dominated the battlefield: Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine claimed an estimated 76,000 lives, while the war in Gaza killed 26,000. But these headline conflicts are only part of the picture. What is increasingly alarming is the multiplication of conflicts within individual countries.

More than half of all conflict-affected states now face two or more separate state-based conflicts, which are internal conflicts where the government is one of the warring parties. In nine countries, there were three or more state-based conflicts.

This reflects a deepening complexity in global conflict dynamics – where state fragility, transnational actors and local grievances feed into overlapping crises that are harder to contain, let alone resolve.

“Conflicts are no longer isolated. They’re layered, transnational and increasingly difficult to end,” said Rustad. “It is a mistake to assume the world can look away. Whether under President Trump or any future administration, abandoning global solidarity now would mean walking away from the very stability the U.S. helped build after 1945.”

The data also identified a rise in militant group activity as a key driver of new and sustained violence. While the Islamic State (IS) remained active in at least 12 countries, other groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) expanded its footprint. JNIM operated in five West African countries in 2024.

Africa remained the most conflict-affected region last year, with 28 state-based conflicts recorded, nearly double the number from a decade earlier. Asia followed with 17, the Middle East with 10, Europe with 3 and the Americas with 2.

“Our analysis shows that the global security landscape is not improving, it’s fracturing. And without sustained international engagement, the risks to civilians, regional stability and international order will only deepen,” warned Rustad.

• Click here to download the whole PRIO report, Conflict Trends: A Global Overview, 1946-2024.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Panelists engaged in a discussion with reporters about plastic pollution. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

As the sun peeked through the French Riviera clouds and a dozen reporters sipped orange juice aboard the WWF Panda Boat docked at Port Lympia, Frankie Orona, a Native American rights advocate from the Society of Native Nations in San Antonio, Texas, stunned the room into a moment of absolute stillness.

“Imagine a baby in the womb, completely reliant on its mother for air, water, and nutrients—and yet, plastic chemicals are already finding their way into that sacred space,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. “That baby has no choice. And neither do future generations if we don’t act now.”

Orona’s stark imagery marked a powerful appeal to the high-level delegation at the UN Ocean Conference on June 10 in Nice, where ministers and representatives from 95 countries backed The Nice Wake-Up Call—a collective demand for an ambitious, legally binding U.N. plastics treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic pollution.

For Orona, the issue is deeply personal and spiritual. “In our culture, the womb is the beginning of the circle of life. Polluting it with plastics is like violating a sacred trust,” he said.

A Crisis in the Making

Plastics are now everywhere—in our oceans, our food, and even our bodies. In 2019 alone, an estimated 28 million metric tons of plastic ended up in the environment—equivalent to dumping the weight of the Titanic into nature every day. Without aggressive intervention, that figure could nearly double by 2040.

For  Orona, who doubles as UNEP co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group, the negotiations unfolding ahead of the August talks in Geneva are a fight for survival.

Speaking to reporters aboard the WWF Panda, Orona, a descendant of the Tonkawa and Apache tribes, did not mince words. “For Indigenous peoples and frontline communities, plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue—it is a human rights crisis that has been going on for generations,” he said.

With the Mediterranean breeze brushing across the harbor, Orona’s voice cut through the chatter of press briefings and policy handouts. “Our communities live near the extraction sites, the refineries, the chemical plants, the incinerators, and the waste dumps. We are the first to feel the impacts—in our lungs, our water, our food, and our children’s health. And too often, we are the last to be consulted.”

The declaration known as The Nice Wake-Up Call, endorsed by 95 countries at the conference, was a welcome shift in tone for many in the Indigenous rights movement. “It sends a strong signal that many governments are now recognizing what we’ve been saying for decades—that ending plastic pollution means addressing the full life cycle of plastics: from extraction to production to disposal,” Orona said.

From Environmental Damage to Systemic Injustice

Orona, who also represents the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics and is part of the Plastics Environment Justice Delegation, emphasized that plastic pollution must be understood in the context of historical and ongoing systems of exploitation.

“This is a continuation of environmental racism and systemic injustices. The human rights violations and violence that have been normalized in our communities for generations must stop,” he said.

Citing the disproportionate exposure of Indigenous populations to toxic chemicals used in plastics—some linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption—he called for a global ban on these additives. “Many of these chemicals are dumped, burned, and leached into our waters, into our sacred lands,” Orona said. “We cannot talk about justice if these harms continue.”

A Just Transition Rooted in Indigenous Knowledge

While many governments are pushing for ambitious production caps and bans on single-use plastics, Orona warned that these measures must not shift the burden onto those least responsible for the crisis.

“A just transition means phasing out fossil fuel-based plastics while investing in community-led solutions, including Indigenous knowledge and science,” he said. “This isn’t just about cleaning up trash; it’s about restoring balance and protecting future generations.”

In a system long dominated by fossil fuel interests and extractive economies, Indigenous communities have often led the way in conservation and sustainable living. “Our knowledge systems are not just cultural—they are scientific. They are proven. And they are part of the solution,” Orona noted.

Follow the Money—and Ensure It Reaches the Frontlines

Orona’s final message was financial. Any treaty, he insisted, must include a mechanism that guarantees direct access to funds for Indigenous and frontline communities.

“Too often, we are shut out of global financing streams—even when we are the ones on the front lines, creating the very solutions the world needs,” he said. “That must end.”

While images of floating plastic bottles and entangled turtles often dominate headlines, experts at the Nice panel were adamant: the crisis begins long before a straw hits the ocean.

Disproportionate Impacts

Plastic production facilities are often located in marginalized communities—adding a layer of environmental injustice to the crisis.

“Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and minority populations suffer the worst impacts,” said Orona. “We’re talking about asthma, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases—especially in children. These are not abstract consequences; these are lived experiences.”

Reporters on the Panda Boat scribbled notes between bites of Mediterranean pastries, visibly moved by Orona’s personal account.

“This is genocide by pollution,” he added. “Our people are dying, and it’s largely invisible to the rest of the world.”

Wildlife at Risk

The panel also underscored the devastating effects of plastic on marine life. Every species of sea turtle has been documented ingesting or getting entangled in plastic. For blue whales, the planet’s largest animals, the reality is even more daunting—they are believed to ingest up to 10 million pieces of microplastic every day, sometimes weighing as much as 44 kilograms.

The next round of negotiations for the plastics treaty is scheduled for August in Geneva, where pressure is mounting to solidify a legally binding agreement that includes all five critical points outlined in the Nice declaration.

The sense of urgency also echoes in the corridors of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U.N. agency overseeing the global shipping industry. Tasked with ensuring environmental safety on the high seas, the IMO has stepped up efforts to address plastic waste, among other pressing marine threats.

In response to a question about the devastating 2021 marine spill in Sri Lanka—where a burning cargo vessel released over 1,680 metric tons of plastic pellets into the Indian Ocean—IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez noted that the agency has been developing new regulations specifically targeting the handling, packaging, and cleanup of plastic pellets. These measures, initially adopted by the European Union, mark a significant step in tightening maritime controls on plastic pollution.

Dominguez stressed that tackling marine pollution also demands inclusive governance. The IMO is increasingly encouraging the participation of Indigenous communities and young people—groups historically sidelined from international maritime decision-making. Their voices, he said, are crucial for shaping policies that are both just and effective.

Next Steps

Professor Bethany Carney Almroth—a renowned environmental toxicologist and one of the leading scientific voices in the negotiations—believes the business world is not the obstacle many assume it to be. Instead, she says, it’s a matter of giving business the legal clarity to act.

“Business follows the rule of law,” she said. “The situation we have today is a mix—some laws are written, others are absent. That’s the problem. If we create new regulations, then it’s no longer a question of whether businesses are voluntarily doing enough. It becomes a question of compliance.”

Carney Almroth, who has worked extensively on the science-policy interface for chemicals and plastics, said that a strong, enforceable treaty is essential to shift the status quo.

“The status quo is broken,” she said plainly. “We need to change the framework so regulations guide businesses to do the best thing possible—for the economy, for the environment, and for people.”

As one of the few experts who has consistently called for systemic reform in how plastics are managed, Carney Almroth said that relying on voluntary industry movements is simply not enough.

“We’ve seen global treaties deliver meaningful results before,” she said. “The Montreal Protocol worked. It changed how we handled chlorofluorocarbons, and it protected the ozone layer. People may not even realize how much their lives have improved because of those decisions—but they have.”

The Hidden Cost of Profit

Responding to a question about the profitability of the plastics industry—especially in countries where it contributes significantly to government revenues—Carney Almroth offered a sobering perspective.

“When we say plastics are profitable, that’s only because we’re not accounting for the real costs,” she said. “Those costs aren’t paid by the companies producing plastics. They’re paid by nature, and they’re paid by people.”

She cited staggering health implications, pointing out that plastics contain thousands of chemicals—many of which are toxic, carcinogenic, or endocrine-disrupting. “The human healthcare costs associated with exposure to these chemicals are astronomical—running into billions of dollars each year. But they’re not included in the price tag of plastic production.”

Building Standards that Protect People and the Planet

So what does it take to eliminate hazardous plastics from global markets?

According to Carney Almroth, we’re still missing a critical piece: effective, fit-for-purpose international standards.

“Right now, most of the existing standards—developed by organizations like ISO or OECD—are geared toward material quality or industrial use. They were never designed to protect human health or the environment,” she explained. “We need new standards. Ones that are developed by independent experts and shielded from vested interests.”

For such standards to be truly effective, she said, they must be holistic and interdisciplinary. “We need to move away from just focusing on economic sustainability. That’s what we’ve done in the past—and it’s failed us. Environmental and social sustainability must be given equal weight.”

As the panel wrapped up, Orona gazed over the Port Lympia waters.

“We have a choice right now,” he said. “To continue poisoning the womb of the Earth—or to become caretakers, protectors.”

And as the reporters descended the gangway of the Panda Boat, the symbolism was not lost: we’re all adrift in this ocean of plastic. Whether we sink or swim depends on what happens next.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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• Waves of Change: From the Glittering Shores of Nice to Struggling Seaweed Farmers in Zanzibar
• Global Push to Protect Oceans Gains Momentum Ahead of UN Conference in Nice

The Artificial Intelligence for Inclusion:Strengthening Workforce Participation for Persons with Disabilities side event, held at the United Nations Headquarters. Credit: UN Web TV

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

On June 10, the United Nations (UN) held a conference titled Artificial Intelligence for Inclusion: Strengthening Workforce Participation for Persons with Disabilities. This conference, which was organized by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, featured a discussion by a panel of experts from various sectors, looking to shed light on the ways AI tools can be used to create inclusive workforces that maximize fairness and accessibility.

Since the mainstream adoption of generative AI systems in the early 2020s, many industries have been restructured. For many workers around the world, the implementation of AI tools have streamlined work processes, making once tedious tasks easier than ever before. Efficiency has been revolutionized, with many human workers being pushed to higher-level positions and creating a host of new jobs across numerous industries.

Despite these benefits, AI systems produce risks of unintentional bias and discrimination, particularly during the hiring process, limiting inclusivity and merit-based employment in the workforce. Additionally, AI systems that have been designed for able-bodied users have effectively shut out members of the disabled community.

Throughout this conference, the panel of experts discussed the methods through which AI systems can be transformed to benefit disabled individuals who have been disproportionately affected by job displacement and discrimination. Due to AI tools being a relatively new development in the global workforce, many industries lack the necessary structures to keep them from compromising a fair and equitable work environment.

“AI is transforming the way that we live, not just how we do business. Because of its rapid arrival to users, because of its regulation, free space is posing huge questions around inclusion, ethics, privacy, and some of our most fundamental institutions,” said Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Jobs and Families.

According to Dr. Jutta Treviranus, the Director and Professor at Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University, the majority of AI tools used in the workforce use algorithms that create biases for those that are considered different from the vast majority. Treviranus states that roughly 90 percent of U.S. organizations rely on AI tools to hire and determine disciplinary action for employees. These systems are often trained to detect individuals who are perceived as outliers and cast them aside, creating “organizational monocultures” which harm the disabled community.

“Bias toward optimal patterns means bias towards difference. As AI gets better and better, it gets better at discrimination. Many of you are using programs that help with efficiency and help produce systems that eliminate anyone that is not optima,” said Treviranus. “We have created an international community that hopes to address statistical inequality and cumulative harm. In U.S.risk and impact assessments, anything that happens to an outlier is deemed to be statistically insignificant. We are facing statistical discrimination with these protections as well.”

Additionally, AI systems that are designed to support disabled individuals often only account for physical disabilities while neglecting individuals with intellectual disabilities. Disabled women are also disproportionately affected by data bias. Without considering these groups, AI systems are effectively working against promoting a diverse array of perspectives in the workplace, which in turn, hurt decision-making processes and innovation.

“AI can be a powerful equalizer and tool, only if it is developed with intentionality,” said A.H. Monjurul Kabir, the Senior Global Adviser and Team Leader at Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion at UN Women. “It is critical that (AI) does not deepen existing stigma, discrimination, and inequalities, especially for women and girls who face compounded layers of discrimination.”

“The unfortunate thing is that even if proportional representation was possible, AI will still rule against outliers and small minorities. It’s extremely difficult to get cluster analysis in disability…We need to look at what is done with that data and how it’s analyzed. Privacy protections do not work if you are highly unique. Differential privacy removes the pieces of data that are helpful to create AI data that will serve you,” added Treviranus.

Furthermore, disabled individuals around the world lack adequate access to AI-powered assistive technologies. With AI tools being implemented in all major sectors of industry, it is imperative that disabled workers are supplied with tools that streamline their work processes and keep their physical and/or intellectual conditions in mind.

“To some extent, addictive tech is a broken business model. The weight of the costs is on disabled individuals and public service…People with disabilities are paying far more for access that works poorly and is often broken,” said Treviranus. “AI using these life changing technologies usually work the least from people who need them the most. The farther you are from the average, the less it works. If the products you have are in a different language or your environment is poor, it will not work well,” she added.

According to Jürgen Dusel, theFederal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities for Germany, workers with intellectual disabilities are currently receiving tablets that help them navigate their daily responsibilities in hotel jobs. Additionally, Hajdu states that in many parts of the world, disabled individuals face limited access to breathing technologies due to a lack of electricity in their environments.

To create comprehensive systems that benefit a wide spectrum of individuals, AI technology must be accessible for the most underserved communities. With disabled individuals persisting in every corner of the world, there must be reforms in accessibility to ensure that all people are afforded a fair chance to survive and succeed in their fields.

“The unexplored knowledge terrain is that entire area that faces intersectional barriers…..If you work with individuals who experience greatest barriers you will create a much more adaptive system with less need for help. In the long term, you are saving money and you don’t need to engage so many people. …I think there is an imperative to do this work we need to ensure these people creating this intelligence actually act intelligent,” said Treviranus.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Government of Vanuatu, including Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change; Director General of the Pacific Community Dr. Stuart Minchin; Vishal Prasad, Director of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change; and Julian Aguon, Director of Blue Ocean Law, briefs journalists at UNOC3.

By Cecilia Russell
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

To the outside world, a sea level rise of 34 cm (or slightly longer than a child’s ruler) may not seem dramatic, but it’s an existential threat to the Pacific island state of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu, in support of a youth movement, the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, has approached the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on how existing international laws can be applied to strengthen action on climate change and protect people and the environment. The opinion is expected later this year.

Already there has been some success in the international campaign Vanuatu has led on behalf of the Pacific states and territories and a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea confirmed states’ obligations to prevent climate-related harm, including from non-state actors, like fossil fuel corporations under signatory states’ control.

“So, this opinion is significant. It has provided crucial certainty that protecting our oceans from climate change is international law. It’s not optional,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change, Vanuatu, emphasizing these obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He was speaking at a press briefing held today (June 11, 2025) at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference underway in Nice, France.

In the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Vanuatu has made a broad case that goes beyond climate conventions and includes human rights law and customary international rules, said Julian Aguon, Director, Blue Ocean Law.

Speakers at the conference emphasized the need for ambitious climate action, noting that the Pacific contributes less than 0.01 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but faces severe impacts.

The case before the ICJ was crucial because its outcome could “essentially turn the page on business-as-usual and actually embark on a new course, a new era of climate change reparations,” said Aguon and the opinion, which will hopefully elaborate on the legal consequences of the breach of obligations, will mean “stepping into a new era of climate accountability.”

Vishal Prasad, Director, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, added that communities on the frontlines of the effects of climate change should not have to pay the costs of rebuilding—whether this is seawall construction or mangrove regeneration—and bear the burdens of a group of historical polluters who fail to grasp their responsibility in exacerbating the climate crisis.

Asked by IPS about the increased reliance on fossil fuels and the poor response to reparations financing, as in the Loss and Damage Fund, Aguion said the opinion would mean countries would no longer be able to hide from their obligations.

“This will, once and for all, decisively dispel the legal ambiguity that has long hobbled the ability of the international community to respond effectively to the climate crisis.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Plastic has worked its way into every corner of the food system. Credit: Giorgio Cosulich / FAO

By Kaveh Zahedi
ROME, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

Each year, more than 12.5 million tonnes of plastic are used in agriculture alone, and another 37 million tonnes become food packaging. Very little gets recycled.

You don’t have to look far to see how plastic has worked its way into every corner of the food system. Seedling trays, mulch films, irrigation tubing, shipping crates, cling wrap. And that’s before it even hits the shelves. It’s efficient, cheap, and convenient, helping to protect crops and reduce food losses—but it lingers.

Plastic waste doesn’t disappear. It breaks down, over years, into particles too small to see.FAO’s research confirms that even tiny amounts of plastics can affect water retention, microbial activity, and plant growth. It also finds evidence that microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals can be absorbed by crops, potentially reaching edible parts

Plastic waste doesn’t disappear. It breaks down, over years, into particles too small to see.
FAO’s research confirms that even tiny amounts of plastics can affect water retention, microbial activity, and plant growth. It also finds evidence that microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals can be absorbed by crops, potentially reaching edible parts. These findings – due to be published later in 2025 – reinforce the need for immediate action to reduce plastic inputs in agriculture and protect the health of soils, crops, and consumers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is helping governments, farmers, and industries cut down on plastic waste—through smarter use, better alternatives, and practical changes on the ground that bring better production, better nutrition, better environment and better lives and don’t compromise the bottom line for farmers.

As part of the response, FAO’s Provisional Voluntary Code of Conduct built through consultations with governments, scientists, producers, and private companies can guide the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture. It offers clear, actionable advice: reduce where possible, reuse when practical, recycle when safe. It points towards a gradual transition away from short-lived plastics, without putting food security or farmer’s incomes at risk.

One promising frontier is the shift toward bio-based and biodegradable materials—drawn from agricultural residues, organic matter, and natural polymers. FAO supports innovation through bioeconomy to help farmers replace conventional plastics with options that break down safely and support soil health.

Consider the banana sector. Plastic bags, twine, and wraps have long been standard in large plantations. FAO’s World Banana Forum has been working with producers and researchers to change that. By sharing practical guidance and exploring alternatives, farmers are beginning to cut down on plastic use and reduce the waste leaking into surrounding environments.

Then there’s the issue of pesticide containers. Too often, these are burned or tossed into fields, releasing toxic residue into the soil and air. FAO is piloting safer disposal methods—like the triple-rinse technique—and helping countries establish collection and recycling systems.

Together with the International Atomic Energy Agency, FAO is leading research on microplastic detection in soil. They’re using advanced isotopic techniques and working to develop standardized testing methods so countries can measure the problem and respond effectively.

Concerns don’t end with the soil. Microplastics have been found in water, salt, fish, and even some vegetables. FAO has conducted scientific reviews on how these particles move through food systems, and what they might mean for human health. Research is ongoing, especially around effects on the gut microbiome, but efforts are already underway to improve testing and keep consumers informed.

National programs are starting to shift practices in real time. In Sri Lanka, FAO’s CIRCULAR project, funded by the European Union, is helping reduce single-use packaging and improve retail design. In Kenya and Uruguay, FAO is helping develop greener policies through the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management” (FARM) project, funded by the Global Environment Facility. The programme combines technical support, farmer outreach, and policy reform to shrink the plastic footprint of agriculture.

The Global Soil Partnership, hosted by FAO, includes the Global Soil Doctors programme—farmer-to-farmer training focused on practical tools to manage soil pollution. Knowledge moves across borders, one field at a time.

Plastic pollution doesn’t stop at the shoreline. Fishing gear—lost, abandoned, or discarded—chokes marine ecosystems and threatens coastal economies. FAO has issued guidelines on marking fishing gear to make it traceable and recoverable. Through the GloLitter Partnerships, implemented by IMO in collaboration with FAO, 30 countries are improving waste management in ports, testing cleaner vessel technologies, and tracking sources of marine litter.

Reducing plastic in agrifood systems isn’t a single solution—it’s a process of rethinking how we grow, move, and consume food in ways that protect people, soils, and oceans alike. Step by step, FAO is working to help countries move toward more sustainable and resilient food systems—ones that don’t rely on plastics to hold them together.

Excerpt:

Kaveh Zahedi is the Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Chumbe Island Coral Park is an example of a successful Marine Protected Area. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

Under the surface of Tanzania’s turquoise waters, a miracle unfolds quietly every day.

Just off the coast of Zanzibar, in the Chumbe Island Coral Park, reef fish glitter like scattered gemstones, weaving between coral gardens that pulse with life. The air is heavy with salt, and the silence underwater is only broken by the rhythmic clicks of snapping shrimp and the steady heartbeat of the sea itself. Sea turtles slither over hard corals. Butterflyfish dart like flashes of sunlight. It’s a living display—one of the most pristine marine ecosystems in East Africa.

And it might have been a thing of the past…

Three decades ago, this vibrant reef was on the verge of collapse. Unregulated fishing, reef blasting, and coral bleaching were turning once-vibrant habitats into underwater graveyards. But today, Chumbe stands as a glimmer of hope—a thriving marine sanctuary wholly managed by a private conservation initiative and proof of the power of local stewardship in a world waking up too slowly to an unfolding ocean crisis.

“If we save the sea, we save our world,” Sir David Attenborough whispers in the final scene of Ocean, his swan song to marine life. A humpback whale glides across the screen, her calf pressing gently against her side. “The ocean still has the power to heal,” he says. “All it asks of us is to let it breathe.”

At the recent UN Ocean Conference in Nice, Tanzania’s ocean story drew quiet admiration in global hallways increasingly crowded with diplomatic speeches and pledges. As policymakers debated the legal frameworks for deep-sea mining and delegates exchanged notes on 30×30 goals, one African nation presented a blueprint that blends science, law, and community with palpable urgency.

Chumbe: A Living Laboratory of Hope

Chumbe Island Coral Park, established in the mid-1990s, was one of the first marine protected areas (MPAs) in the region to be managed privately, without government funding. Its genesis was simple but bold: protect what remains before it’s gone. No fishing. No anchor damage. No pollution. No greenwashing.

The result? A thriving marine habitat where coral cover reaches over 90 percent—unheard of in many parts of the Indian Ocean. Rare species like giant groupers, humphead wrasses, and endangered hawksbill turtles breed undisturbed. Underwater, it feels like a lost world—alive, balanced, and breathing.

“Chumbe is proof that conservation isn’t a luxury—it’s survival,” says Rukia Hassan, a local marine guide trained by the park. “Our ocean is our life. Without it, we have nothing.”

And the reef gives back. The protected area replenishes nearby fishing zones through the spillover effect. Local communities, once skeptical, are now stewards and beneficiaries. Through ecotourism, jobs have been created, schools funded, and marine education embedded into Zanzibar’s youth culture.

“People thought banning fishing here would starve us,” says fisherman Salum Juma from nearby Mbweni village. “But now we see more fish than ever—on the reef and in our nets.”

Tanzania’s Ocean Strategy: Beyond Promises

While many nations arrive at global summits armed with pledges, Tanzania has quietly built its marine protection framework from the seafloor up. The National Marine Ecosystem Management Strategy outlines ambitious conservation targets across its 1,400-kilometer coastline, with a growing network of MPAs.

Leading the charge is Danstan Johnny Shimbo, Director of Legal Services at the Vice President’s Office. At the Ocean Summit, his message was clear: “We don’t govern the ocean for the sake of it. We do it because our survival depends on it.”

Under his leadership, Tanzania has ratified a suite of international marine agreements and is drafting regulations for deep-sea mining, balancing economic potential with ecological limits.

“Yes, we have minerals on our seabed,” Shimbo told IPS in an exclusive interview. “But we’re not going to destroy the ocean to get them.”

Tanzania has also cracked down on blast fishing, once rampant in mainland and island coastal zones. Enforcement teams now collaborate with local communities to report violations and restore reefs. Education campaigns are working: destructive fishing is no longer seen as an act of desperation but as an attack on future generations.

“It used to be about catching more fish,” says Fatuma Ali, a mother of three from Bagamoyo. “Now we talk about catching fish next year and the year after that.”

The Global View: A Race Against Time

Yet, the ocean is in peril. At the Nice summit, Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer and marine ecologist, delivered a haunting truth: only 3 percent of the global ocean is highly protected. To meet the 30×30 target—protecting 30 percent by 2030—85 new MPAs would need to be established every single day.

“What we’re doing right now is not enough,” Sala said. “The ocean needs courage, not half-measures.”

Countries like Sweden and Greece pledged to ban bottom trawling in MPAs. Others, like France, offered softer reforms. But in small island nations and community-led zones like Zanzibar’s Chumbe, the real conservation work is already happening.

“We’ve had enough conferences,” said Sala. “It’s time to act.”

A New Ocean Economy

What may finally turn the tide is money.

According to a recent study by National Geographic’s Pristine Seas and Dynamic Planet, every USD 1 invested in a well-managed MPA yields USD 10 in returns—from tourism and fisheries to storm protection. That economic logic is already bearing fruit in Chumbe, where ecotourism helps finance education, conservation, and livelihoods.

“MPAs aren’t a burden—they’re the smartest investment we can make,” said Kristin Rechberger, CEO of Dynamic Planet.

Tanzania’s strategy increasingly frames the ocean not just as an environmental issue but as an economic one. From fish exports to blue carbon markets and nature-based tourism, the sea is now seen as a bank—not to be emptied, but replenished.

Can Tanzania Inspire the World?

For Shimbo and others, the challenge ahead is massive. The rising pressure of climate change, industrial development, and plastic pollution threatens to undo years of progress. But Chumbe, Mafia Island Marine Park, and other MPAs remain shining examples of what’s possible.

“If a country like Tanzania, with limited resources, can do this,” said marine scientist  Grace Mwakalukwa from the Institute of Resources Assessment of the University of Dar es Salaam, “then rich nations have no excuse.”

As the world wrestles with how to fund ocean protection, Tanzania is proving that community, courage, and clear rules can go further than big speeches.

A Final Plea from the Reef

Back on Chumbe, a reef shark circles  a coral head  while a green turtle rests in a sandy lagoon. Above, schoolchildren visit the island’s Eco-Education Center, learning  how  sea cucumbers  filter water and parrotfish create  sand. They sketch fish, laugh at hermit crabs, and speak of the ocean  not as a problem but as a promise.

“We tell the children this is your inheritance,” says Rukia, the marine guide. “Protect it like you would your own home.”

The lesson is painfully clear: the world is running out of time to conserve unique marine biodiversity but not out of hope.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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