Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed disappointment over the lack of a high-level delegation from the United States at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice.
In an interview with RTÉ News, he reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to multilateralism, emphasizing the importance of countries collaborating to tackle global challenges.
“The United Nations serves as the essential framework for addressing worldwide issues, fostering cooperation among nations, and establishing governance,” he stated.
In April, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to open parts of the Pacific Ocean for commercial fishing.
This approach contradicts the objectives of UNOC3, which seeks to implement an urgent action plan aimed at conserving and sustainably using the world’s oceans.
This morning, several world leaders urged more countries to ratify the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023, which aims to protect marine species in international waters.
Currently, fifty nations have signed and ratified the treaty, but it falls short of the necessary sixty countries for it to be enforced under international law.
The United States has yet to ratify the treaty and is not expected to do so during this conference, according to Rebecca Hubbard, the Director of the High Seas Alliance.
Ireland signed the treaty in 2023, and the Taoiseach mentioned that Ireland intends to ratify it, although he did not specify whether that would happen during this week’s conference.
“We plan to engage with the relevant ministers to finalize our ratification of this treaty before the anticipated transposition of an upcoming EU directive, but we are definitely committed to it,” he affirmed.
“We’re very dedicated to this cause.”
During the conference’s opening session, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders to ratify the treaty.
He warned that illegal fishing, plastic pollution, and rising sea temperatures pose significant threats to fragile ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.
“The ocean is the ultimate shared resource. But we are failing to protect it,” Mr. Guterres remarked, highlighting issues like collapsing fish stocks, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification.
Oceans also play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by absorbing approximately 30% of CO2 emissions. However, as oceans warm, marine ecosystems are being destroyed, jeopardizing their capacity to absorb CO2.
“These are indicators of a system in crisis—they reinforce one another. Disrupting food chains. Destroying livelihoods. Amplifying insecurity.”
The treaty would enable countries to establish marine parks in international waters, which make up nearly two-thirds of the ocean and are largely unregulated.
Until now, only about 1% of international waters, known as the “high seas,” have been protected.
The push for nations to convert years of pledges into meaningful protection for oceans comes at a time when President Trump is withdrawing the United States and its financial support from climate initiatives, while some European governments are diluting green policy commitments in efforts to bolster struggling economies and counter nationalists.
French President Emmanuel Macron, co-host of the conference, informed delegates that fifty countries have ratified the treaty, with another fifteen promising to do the same.
He noted that it was “not a surprise” that the US did not send a high-ranking delegation to the conference.
“We are aware of the American administration’s stance on these matters,” Mr. Macron stated.
Prince William of Britain remarked that the challenge of protecting the world’s oceans was “unlike any we have encountered before.”
Ocean experts have leveraged the conference as an opportunity to secure investments for the ocean economy, which has historically struggled to attract significant funding.
During a two-day gathering of bankers and investors in Monaco last weekend, philanthropists, private investors, and public banks pledged €8.7 billion across five years to support a regenerative and sustainable blue economy.
According to the UN, investments in ocean health totaled merely $10 billion from 2015-2019—far below the $175 billion yearly requirement.
To address this shortfall, the UN announced the initiation of a new financing facility, set to launch in 2028, which aims to unlock billions of dollars to restore ocean health by mobilizing diverse sources of capital.
