By Laudia Sawer

Tema, June 09, GNA – Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to the Global Ocean Action by participating in the Third UN Ocean Conference underway at Nice in France.

The conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, which is being attended by world leaders, scientists, and stakeholders, commences on June 9 and will close on June 13. It is on the theme “Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean”.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that Ghana is being represented by a high-level delegation led by Mr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, and Madam Emelia Arthur, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The two ministers were joined at the opening ceremony by Mr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Mr Kwame Dzudzoli Gakpey, and Mr Isaac Yaw Opoku, respectively Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food.

The participation of Ghana at this high-level conference is believed to be a testament to the country’s leadership in ocean governance across Africa and her commitment to climate-resilient fisheries management, marine biodiversity conservation, and blue economy development.

As a coastal nation, Ghana recognises the central role of healthy oceans in securing food, jobs, and resilience for millions of its citizens, with its presence at the conference reflecting the continued dedication to protecting marine ecosystems, promoting sustainable fisheries, and strengthening blue economy initiatives at both national and international levels.

As deliberations continue throughout the week, Ghana is expected to engage in technical sessions, side events, and diplomatic consultations aimed at forging stronger partnerships for marine sustainability.

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference is a pivotal platform to advance Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.

The conference seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) through concrete and urgent actions, strengthen global partnerships and build on existing legal and institutional frameworks, encourage inclusive collaboration among governments, UN agencies, international organisations, financial institutions, academia, private sector actors, indigenous peoples, and local communities, and assess global progress and identify opportunities and challenges in achieving ocean sustainability.

Meanwhile, at the opening ceremony, French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the urgent moral responsibility to protect the ocean, stating that “protecting our ocean today is not just an ecological imperative but a moral one. Only through urgent and united action can we ensure a healthy, thriving planet for generations to come.”

He further emphasised the need for science-led, multilateral approaches, calling on the global community to work toward the 30×30 target, protecting 30 per cent of the world’s ocean areas by 2030.

Echoing these sentiments, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chávez Robles described the ocean as “the most vast and vital resource we share”, adding that “without the ocean, there would be no life on earth.”

GNA

Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba