In Lisbon, in 2022, as you have reminded us, many things were announced. A movement was launched. It was there that we jointly declared that France was particularly in favor of establishing a legal framework to put an end to deep-sea mining in the high seas. Since then, we have taken measures in France, and we are also following, with great interest and hope, the ongoing discussions in Portugal. I am honored by this handover, and I know that, building on the solid foundations laid by Portugal and Kenya three years ago, alongside Costa Rica, we will be able to lead the United Nations conference, it’s a given,in Nice, next June, together, and ensure that it delivers decisive outcomes.
I know I can count on your presence, dear Luís, Mr. Prime Minister.
So, on this path to Nice, many initiatives have already been taken, and I thank our Special Envoy, Mr. Ambassador, and particularly the Franco-Portuguese roadmap that we are adopting during this state visit which marks a step forward and is the fruit of an exemplary cooperation between our two nations. It also outlines a future where the ocean will finally receive the protection it deserves, in line with its importance.
At UNOC2, right here two and a half years ago, I had already spoken about the urgency of acting decisively as we approach 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. And on these objectives, we must be honest with ourselves, we are running late. That is why we must now mobilize with even greater determination.
In this regard, we should all draw inspiration from what Portugal has achieved.
In 2022, we have reached decisive milestones. UNOC2 allowed for a collective awakening among all participants, leading to commitments that were later reinforced at the One Ocean Summit in Brest. These commitments materialized at the end of 2022 with the adoption, as the Prime Minister mentioned when talking about the 30×30, of the goal to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. This is the objective we have set for ourselves, and it was officially established in 2022.
At the beginning of 2023, we adopted what has been, if I dare say it, a decades-long Homeric fight within the United Nations framework, the famous “High Seas Treaty”, known as BBNJ, which was an enormous diplomatic effort. Now, on the road to Nice, we must implement and advance it further.
We are proud to have paved the way, but there is a key challenge ahead for Nice, this BBNJ treaty must be ratified.
Spain and France took the lead on February 5th. I know that Portugal will also be among the first to ratify it before UNOC. But we need at least 60 countries to ratify this treaty by June. Because only then will it come into effect.
Imagine, this treaty is no less than a framework for global governance, ensuring the proper protection of 60% of our oceans’ surface. Until now, this vast area has essentially been lawless. There was no international framework. So, while negotiating and finalizing the BBNJ treaty was a great step forward, the fight is not over.
I count on Portugal to help us rally as many countries as possible so that we can reach 60 ratifications by the month of June. That will be, then, a major breakthrough, allowing us to establish genuine governance of the high seas and combat the rampant exploitation currently taking place today, and I would even say the absence of rule for these 60% of the blue planet.
It will also help address the fragmentation of ocean governance, which is a colossal challenge. Today, the FAO regulates fishing, the IMO oversees the decarbonization of maritime transport, the Convention on Biological Diversity governs marine and coastal biodiversity. But ultimately, no single body truly regulates our oceans on a global scale. It is as if all these issues could be treated independently of one another.
This is why the United Nations Ocean Conferences play a critical role. They allow forr experts in maritime transport, biodiversity, fisheries, etc, to discuss and to manage this common space, and often the conflicts of interests as stake there.
I mentioned the 30% protection goal, including for our seas, by 2030. We are not there yet. There is still much to do.
Currently, at a global level, we have not surpassed 9%. But us, we have made progress. And when it comes to marine protected areas, Portugal is a source of inspiration.
In 2021, Portugal established the largest fully protected marine reserve in Europe, expanding its protection zone 50 years after the first was created. And just last October, the region of the Azores designated 30% of their surrounding waters, as a protected area, or 287,000 km², making it the largest marine protected zone in the North Atlantic. This makes Portugal one of the exemplarynations in achieving this objective.
France has also reached, and even slightly exceeded this goal, as we have, like you, a very big maritime area.France is the second biggest maritime power in the world, thanks to its overseas territories. But from now until Nice, we still have a lot of work. First, to persuade other nations to increase protection from 9% to 30%. Second, to improve our high-protection areas, ensuring at least 10% reach that level. And third, to refine our practices in the most sensitive areas, where biodiversity remains under threat due to certain activities that are not yet fully aligned with what we should be doing.
We will work alongside scientists andall stakeholdersto make significant announcements in Nice.
Finally, we must go further, and continue to discover the ocean, because, today, we only protect what we know, yet, only 5% of our oceans have been the subject of genuine exploratory missions. 5%.In other words, we are talking about a truly hidden continent, treasures to discover, and, while some look to Mars, we have chosen to embrace Neptune. That is the chosen name of our upcoming mission, which will be announced in Nice.
Indeed, amidst the immense majority of the High Seas which at this time remain unknown and uncharted, lie invaluable genetic resources that could drive decisive advancements in science and human health. That is why, within the European Union, we will push forward the European Ocean Pact, which will be adopted before summer, and which must mark the launch of new efforts to explore our oceans, thus allowing the mobilization of funding to support our scientists in continuing this work of exploration.
Beyond that, many other initiatives will be taken to fight against plastic and aim to eradicate it in several areas, to transform fishing practices, to push and promote further research initiatives. I will not outline here everything that the Nice conference will include, because it will be, at the same time, a great mobilization of research, civil society, governments, and also the economic world. But I say it here with great enthusiasm, and Mr. Prime Minister, in a way, reminded us of the broader framework by evoking the geopolitical context in which we find ourselves. And it is precisely in such a moment that this kind of work is more necessary than ever.
We can clearly see the world fragmenting. We can see that the values that were once ours, based on universalism and multilateral cooperation, are breaking apart. Succeeding in cooperating and acting together so that what is a common good of the planet, and therefore of humanity, is preserved.
Rediscovering the meaning of our ability to inhabit this planet means understanding that human progress is only possible if it goes hand in hand with the preservation of our biodiversity and, at the same time, the reduction of our CO2 emissions. It means realizing, once again, what we have already experienced in recent years, that we are not beings separate from others, that human health is inseparable from animal health and from our understanding of ecosystems. It is about reconciling several international fights at the heart of our agendas: health, environment, research, and human progress.
And all of this is what we want to achieve with the Nice conference. This is why it is so important, and I want to express here my deepest gratitude to Portugal, to your Foundation, the Oceano Azul Foundation, its president, José Soares dos Santos, its general director, Tiago Pitta e Cunha, and the entire team that have done a remarkable job. And you can be proud, Mr. Prime Minister.
But I wanted to set a meeting here, under this promising rain that reminds of the Breton weather and, ultimately, our shared oceanic destinies that bind us together. I wanted to invite you to meet in Nice in less than four months to continue our common commitment to the ocean.
In any case, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your welcome during this state visit, and for the important friendship treaty that we are about to sign.
Long live our oceans, long live Portugal, long live France, and long live the friendship that binds us together.
Note : This document is a translation made by Oceano Azul Foundation and does not represent an official document from France and Portugal countries.
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