UNOC 2025 Reflections: Policy, People and the Power of Connection
- IAmWaterFoundation
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
From policy milestones to personal moments of connection, UNOC 2025 was a reminder that lasting ocean action starts with both systems change and human heart.
This June, the global ocean community gathered in Nice, France, for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025), a pivotal moment for advancing ocean action at scale. For I AM WATER, it was a milestone too. Our founder, Hanli Prinsloo, was there to represent our mission, share our work, and most importantly, bring the human heart of ocean connection into this high-level policy space.
While much of UNOC 2025 was about treaties, targets, and financing mechanisms (all crucial for systemic change), there was also a refreshing and necessary undercurrent: the recognition that people’s love for the ocean is what fuels all of this. Indigenous voices, cultural leaders, and ocean advocates from around the world spoke to the spiritual and relational aspects of caring for the ocean, reminding everyone that protecting our blue planet begins with deep connection.
Key outcomes
On the policy front, UNOC 2025 marked several key milestones:
High Seas Treaty Nears Ratification
The conference generated renewed momentum for the Marine Biodiversity
of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, with 50 countries ratified
and another 10 needed for the treaty to take legal force.
Action on Deep-Sea Mining and Bottom Trawling
precautionary pause on deep-sea mining gained support from 37 countries.
Bottom trawling faced sharper criticism: France limited (but did not ban) it, while
Ghana and the UK pledged bans in their waters.
Expanding Marine Protected Areas
France announced their establishment of the world’s largest Marine Protected Area in French Polynesia, covering 5 million km². This historic step contributes to the global 30×30 goal, as ocean protection remains at just ~8.3 %, with hopes of surpassing 10 % through new designations.
The “Nice Wake-Up Call” on Plastic Pollution
96 countries backed the ‘Nice Wake-Up Call,’ urging decisive action toward the Global Plastic Treaty. Additional pledges focused on tackling ghost gear fishing debris and broader marine plastic control measures.
Billions Mobilised for a Sustainable Blue Economy
At the Blue Economy & Finance Forum (Monaco, 7–8 June 2025), a high‑level side event to UNOC, public and private entities committed €8.7 billion through 2030 toward sustainable ocean transition; approximately €4.7 b from philanthropy/private capital and €4 b from public institutions.
These outcomes reflect growing global momentum. But beyond the numbers and pledges, UNOC 2025 felt different in another, more human way.
Bringing Heart into the Room: An Ocean Connection Workshop
For the first time ever, I AM WATER had the opportunity to create a space within UNOC that wasn’t about data points or policy briefs, but about feeling.
Together with Oceanic Global, and Whaia, Hanli hosted an Ocean Connection Workshop, inviting delegates to step out of their analytical minds and into their bodies and hearts, reconnecting with why they are fighting for the ocean in the first place.
Photo credit: Jo Short, from the Ocean Connection Workshop hosted by Oceanic Global, Hanli Prinsloo - I AM WATER Foundation, and Whaia – Sonic Weaver and Oceanic Global Board Member.
As Hanli shared:
"It was the first time I attended UNOC, and a first for I AM WATER to host an experience as part of such a large gathering. I truly believe that personal connections at major conferences like UNOC are essential because while policy discussions and negotiations lay the groundwork for change, it's the informal conversations, shared experiences, and cross-cultural relationships that spark collaboration and inspire long-term commitment. These connections build trust, foster empathy, and create a sense of shared purpose, reminding us that behind every decision are people working together for a healthier, more sustainable future. For us at I AM WATER and our co-hosts from Oceanic Global, the Ocean Connection Workshop was a key part of our involvement in Nice, offering a space for participants to reconnect with the ocean on a personal and emotional level. Amid high-level policy discussions, the workshop served as a grounding experience, highlighting the human and cultural dimensions of ocean conservation. By fostering deeper awareness and empathy, it strengthened the collective resolve to protect marine ecosystems, aligning perfectly with UNOC's mission to drive impactful, inclusive action for a healthier ocean future."
From guided sensory exercises, a sound journey and time immersed in the water, to moments of silent reflection, the workshop invited decision-makers to pause and remember the ocean not as a concept, but as a living, breathing part of our collective home.
Centering Indigenous and Cultural Wisdom
Another powerful thread at UNOC this year was the inclusion of indigenous voices and cultural perspectives. From Pacific island nations to Arctic communities, speakers emphasized the deep spiritual, ancestral, and emotional ties their people hold with the ocean. These stories not only added colour, but brought essential wisdom to the table.
The ocean is more than just an economic resource or a site for governance, it’s a relative, a life source, and in many worldviews, a being with its own rights. The conference highlighted that for true ocean justice and sustainability, indigenous leadership and knowledge systems must sit at the heart of global decision-making.
Photo credit: Jo Short, from the Deep-Sea Mining gathering.
Looking Ahead: Systems Change Rooted in Connection
As I AM WATER continues to grow initiatives like the Oceans For All Alliance (OFAA) which seeks to drive systems-change thinking in ocean conservation while keeping human connection at its core, our reflections from UNOC are clear:
Yes, we need policy. Yes, we need financing. Yes, we need global targets. But most of all, we need to remember why we care.
Because when people connect with love and awe to our blue planet, the actions that follow are stronger, more authentic, and more lasting.
We’re grateful to have been part of this important moment in Nice and look forward to continuing this work, with heart, with community, and with hope.
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