UN Secretary-General urges end to ocean exploitation as global summit begins

UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice with a stark warning about humanity's destructive impact on marine ecosystems. With over 50 Heads of State in attendance, the summit aims to address critical issues like plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate change effects on oceans.

Guterres emphasized that oceans absorb 90% of excess heat from greenhouse emissions while facing multiple threats. French President Emmanuel Macron called for strengthened multilateral cooperation, while Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles advocated for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

The conference seeks to advance the High Seas Treaty ratification and develop concrete actions to protect marine biodiversity under the '30 by 30' framework.