From Lisbon to Nice: France and Portugal Declaration on the Ocean

Gathered in Lisbon on February 27, 2025, we, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, and Luís Montenegro, Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic, confirmed our will to strengthen our partnership on the Ocean protection.

France and Portugal are two leading European maritime nations, with outermost regions, aware of their shared responsibility to protect the Ocean and mobilize the international community to achieve ambitious objectives. Portugal hosted the second United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2022 in Lisbon, co-chaired with Kenya. France will host the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in June 2025 in Nice, co-chaired with Costa Rica. By hosting such conferences, our nations seek to reinforce cooperation within European initiatives, in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, and to play a catalytic role in advancing international action for ocean protection.

France and Portugal reiterate the essential role of the Ocean in the fight against climate change, andthe importance of conserving, protecting, and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems. We underline the urgency of halting the negative effects of climate change on these ecosystems and strengthening the link between the Ocean, climate, and biodiversity.

As the Paris Climate Agreement marks its 10th anniversary this year, we commit to a fast transition away from fossil fuels and the development of renewable energy, including offshore energy solutions, in line with the recommendations of the global assessment of the Paris Agreement.

From Lisbon to Nice: An ongoing commitment to make Ocean Protection a global priority.

France and Portugal reaffirm the universality and integrity of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and reaffirm its role in defining the legal framework for all maritime and ocean-related activities, its strategic importance as the foundation for national, regional, and global action and cooperation in Ocean domain, and stress the necessity of preserving its integrity.

France and Portugal reiterate the importance of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources, by 2030.

In alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, our two countries renew their pledge to protect at least 30% of the seas by 2030 through the establishment of ecologically representative marine protected areas operating in an integrated network manner, and the implementation of effective conservation, management and financing mechanisms for these marine protected areas. In this regard, the decision made in October 2024 by the Regional Government of the Azores to expand its marine protected area by 30% is a historical step forward.

Recognizing the importance of the earliest possible active action of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), France and Portugal continue their mobilization for  at least 60 states to ratify this vital agreement for the Ocean, therefore allowing its entry into force before the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.

Building on the achievements of the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference and the Lisbon Declaration, Portugal fully supports France and Costa Rica’s efforts to achieve the adoption of the “Nice Action Plan for the Ocean” during the Nice conference, whichshould include ambitious and concrete commitments to fight against pollution, protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems, regulate fisheries, tackle ocean acidification, and promote sustainable development.

France and Portugal are also grateful for the important contribution of the Oceano Azul Foundation at the previous conference in Lisbon, and in the context of the upcoming Nice conference, including the “SOS Ocean” event preceding UNOC 3.

In preparation for the Nice Conference, our countries commit to supporting several important international initiatives for the protection of the Ocean:

● In the Scientific field, France and Portugal, jointly with other states, promote the transformation of Mercator Ocean International into an intergovernmental organization; support the “Alliance 100%” led by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and coordinated by the World Resources Institute; reinforce their commitment to the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification and pledge to strengthen cooperation within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) and, in this context, commit to reinforce the interface between science and public policies and will explore of the possibility of establishing an international expert platform on ocean sustainability, whose work will complement existing processes; finally, our two countries commit to strengthening the capacities of developing nations so that they can fully benefit from scientific and technological advances related to the Ocean, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries.

● Regarding the Decarbonization of maritime transport, France and Portugal are fully committed to the implementation of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System extended to maritime transport since the 1^st of January 2024. They Support the introduction of a financial mechanism encouraging the compliance with the maritime sector decarbonization objectives, trade, and leisure sectors in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2023, as well as the use of at least part of the revenues generated for a fair and equitable transition of the sector and the mitigation of impacts for developing countries. France and Portugal support the development of alternative fuels and low-carbon propulsion technologies.

● In the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, France and Portugal will continue to cooperate to exchange information, best practices, expertise, and technologies, especially satellite-based, to fight against these practices. They commit to, notably during UNOC3, promote the ratification of the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), the first international agreement to specifically focus on IUU fishing, and to promote the adoption of high-seas fisheries control measures under regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). To effectively fight IUU fishing, France and Portugal will also continue to promote the 2012 Cape Town Agreement to enhance fishing safety and the 2007 International Labour Organization Convention (No. 188) on Work in Fishing ratification.

France and Portugal reaffirm their commitments to reducing marine pollution, including wastewater discharges and plastic pollution. We advocate for the conclusion of a Global Treaty against Plastic Pollution during the next negotiation session in 2025, setting a target for reducing plastic production while being ambitious and legally binding.

On the occasion of the Nice Conference, the Principality of Monaco will organize a “Forum on the Blue Economy and Finance” on June 7 and 8, 2025, in partnership with France and Costa Rica. This forum will allow to consolidate the achievements of the second United Nations Ocean Conference (Lisbon, 2022), during which Portugal and Kenya hosted the first forum on the sustainable blue economy.

A high level of ambition for Europe and the Atlantic region

France and Portugal commit to ensuring that, while fully respecting the respective competences of EU Member States and the European Union, the Ocean remains a priority within European environmental policy and is integrated across all relevant European policies. In this context, both nations support the development and presentation of a European Ocean Pact at the Nice Conference. This pact, aligned with global frameworks, will establish a shared program for ocean exploration among multiple countries.

Recognizing the potential of the blue economy and the financing needs required to achieve the 2030 Agenda, specifically SDG 14, France and Portugal pledge to make this a key priority within the European economic strategy and transition policies. To encourage the transition to green energy, both countries will cooperate in the development of hydrogen production for use in sectors that are particularly challenging to decarbonize.

France and Portugal will strengthen their cooperation in the strategic areas of ocean knowledge and blue skills, working within the framework of European initiatives in the Atlantic region (Atlantic Action Plan 2.0), the Mediterranean region (West-Med), and in the transition between the North and South Atlantic. They will also promote synergies with other initiatives dedicated to European sea basins.

In this context, both countries congratulate themselves on the establishment of a new Knowledge and Innovation Community under the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, focused on water, marine, and maritime affairs. They underline the active collaboration between French and Portuguese entities, alongside other European partners, in presenting a strong application for managing this Community and in supporting its future activities.

France and Portugal reaffirm their commitment to maintaining a high level of engagement in ocean protection in the Eastern Atlantic, particularly through the implementation of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR).

Enhancing Bilateral Cooperation

France and Portugal are committed to intensify their scientific collaboration to better understand and protect the Ocean. France and Portugal have decided to strengthen their partnership to improve knowledge of the deep-sea environment, particularly in French and Portuguese maritime zones. This will notably be achieved through experience-sharing, joint observation missions, and the continuation of the EMSO-Azores deep-sea observatory, which has been coordinated by the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) for over a decade. Recognizing the richness, complexity, and fragility of deep-sea ecosystems, we advocate, within the framework of the International Seabed Authority, in favour of at least a precautionary pause or a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

France and Portugal also commit toan even closer cooperation between their higher education institutions, facilitating exchanges among students, researchers, and professionals to enhance technical expertise in ocean-related fields. Research entities from both countries will also strengthen their cooperation, particularly in the field of developing solutions to increase the resilience and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Atlantic region.

The French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) will formalize and deepenits cooperation in marine research with its Portuguese partners, notably through the signing of an agreement with the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). This agreement will take into account shared research priorities and areas of activity, including sustainable management, restoration, and protection of ocean ecosystems, marine resource data collection, and oceanographic missions. Both nations are also committed to advancing research on ocean-climate interactions, particularly through Earth observation systems. The Air Centre will play a key role as a collaborative platform in this domain.

We will strengthen interdisciplinary research on the ocean, incorporating studies on the interactions between human societies and marine environments, bio-cultural diversity, and local heritage and knowledge.

France and Portugal are also committed to strenghening their cooperation in the blue economy, including the development of floating wind energy and other offshore renewable energy technologies. This will be facilitated through a collaboration between test zones for these technologies, such as the Open-C Foundation and the Renewable Energy Technology Free Zone – Viana do Castelo, among others.

Recognizing the importance of engaging younger generations in ocean conservation, France and Portugal will undertake joint efforts to raise awareness of the Ocean’s critical role, particularly by promoting ocean literacy in schools.

***

France and Portugal will continue their scientific cooperation regarding the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Both nations will pursue their alliance across these various domains with the objective of strengthening international mobilization and European cooperation for ocean protection.

France-Portugal: Passing the Torch Towards the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice 2025.

Note : This document is a translation made by Oceano Azul Foundation and does not represent an official document from France and Portugal countries.