WYCJ at UNOC3
From 9 to 13 June, 2025, WYCJ took part in UNOC3, the third United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. During the conference, state and non-state actors came together to discuss an important issue – how to change the course for ocean health. To do this, conference participants engaged with a myriad of topics ranging from the implementation of the BBNJ agreement (a treaty designed to protect biodiversity in the High Seas and on the seafloor beyond national jurisdiction), to the criminalisation of ecocide and deep sea mining, to ocean literacy. In the background of plenaries, ocean action panels, and side events, the Nice Ocean Action Plan, made up of a political declaration and a list of voluntary commitments from stakeholders, was deliberated and adopted following the Conference.
WYCJ at UNOC3
With only five years left until the 2030 deadline for the “30x30” target, a global goal to protect 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030, WYCJ campaigners brought to the Conference a salient discussion that has yet to take centre stage in the ocean governance space: the advisory opinions on climate change from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), and of course, the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Kicking off our participation in UNOC3, the Asian Front of WYCJ organised an online panel discussion as part of the Conference’s virtual side events. The event, titled ‘Intergenerational Equity in Ocean Governance: Securing the Rights of Future Generations,’ was held in collaboration with the African Young Leaders Foundation and featured a balance of legal and policy experts with grassroots and community voices. The discussion explored how intergenerational equity has been addressed in the advisory opinion proceedings where speakers shared insights on how the principle can be better integrated in ocean governance. Read more about the event here.
WYCJ was also active on the Conference’s physical grounds. On 9 June, we conducted a panel discussion, ‘From Legal Breakthroughs to Ocean Justice: Climate, Biodiversity and the Rise of Ocean Rights’ at the Green Zone, which was the conference zone open to the general public. The panel focused on recent legal breakthroughs, including the climate advisory opinions, developments in ecocide law, and the ASEAN Environmental Rights Framework. The panel featured a range of esteemed speakers, namely, H.E. Mr. Odo Tevi, the Government of Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York; Clara Tomé, Co-lead at the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), Youth; Rocky Guzman, Deputy Director of the Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law (ARIEL); Upasana Khatri, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL); and Léa Weimann, Co-lead of the Youth for Ecocide Law (Y4EL). The event drew a large crowd, who were highly engaged with the speakers during the Q&A segment by delving deeper into how legal instruments and frameworks can be leveraged to advance the recognition of ocean rights.
On 12 June, Samira Ben Ali, WYCJ’s Campaigns Lead, together with Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, and Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji, spoke in a press briefing at the Blue Zone on pushing for a fossil-free ocean. Samira argued that the ITLOS climate advisory opinion and scientific evidence explain that continued licensing of offshore oil and gas are inconsistent with obligations under UNCLOS, as anthropogenic GHG emissions constitute pollution of the marine environment. During the Q&A, Mr. Regenvanu emphasised that ‘those who are most climate-vulnerable now are simply living the future that we’re all going to get to one day’. Echoing this sentiment, Samira offered her personal perspective as an inhabitant of a climate-vulnerable island, Mayotte, which has already suffered from disastrous climate impacts to its infrastructure and communities. Worse, this lived reality of Mahorans appears to be downplayed by the French government, while “fossil fuels are a matter of life and death” for those living in the frontlines of the climate crisis.
WYCJ also took part in an off-site event organised by Y4EL on ‘Youth Advocacy in Ecocide Law & Ocean Rights’. The event took place on a picturesque rooftop bar at a Mama Shelter, and drew an intimate crowd consisting of youth delegates and activists. The conversation began with the launch of the Youth for Ecocide Law Art Book, during which Clara Tomé of GARN read a poem from the book and modelled the beautifully embroidered Ecocide Law Dress. The all-youth panel, moderated by Léa Weimann from Y4EL, featured insights from Clara Tomé of GARN; Paulina Slawek from Stop Ecocide International; Lucy Ward, Oceans Program Coordinator at Earth Law Center; Dana Ahmed, Founder of EcoSpectrum; and WYCJ Campaigner Han Ying Jie. This panel showcased successful youth-led ocean conservation initiatives and the powerful tool of ecocide law, as well as spotlighting youth engagement in marine conservation. In explaining the role young people can advance legal protection for the oceans and lessons learnt from the real-life contribution of the youth movement to the climate advisory opinions, Ying Jie first emphasised that young people have the greatest vested interest in advancing ocean rights, especially given that they will suffer climate impacts on the oceans for a long time to come. They then explained how WYCJ members first brought the advisory opinion to the attention of relevant ministries, and shared legal arguments pertaining to the first question of the advisory opinion on legal obligations, encouraging governments to begin truly engaging with the contentious aspects of the legal questions.
Finally, WYCJ also avidly participated in the Morning Tides, a daily youth-led briefing held at the Beyond Borders Pavilion in the Green Zone, designed to help youth and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) connect, stay informed on key events, and navigate the UNOC more effectively. During our turn to present, Ying Jie and Samira shared an overview of our work and its critical relevance to ocean governance. They highlighted our contributions to advancing youth engagement in international law and climate justice, including our parallel efforts to raise awareness about the historic ITLOS advisory opinion on climate change and the oceans. Through this platform, WYCJ emphasised the importance of youth-led legal advocacy in shaping a just and sustainable future for our ocean.
Conclusion
UNOC3 affirmed that youth voices are essential in driving legal and policy change for our ocean. WYCJ was proud to bring intergenerational equity, ocean rights, and climate justice to this important forum, demonstrating that legal advocacy led by young people can shape meaningful progress.
With the destructive impacts of the climate crises fast worsening, the time for action is now. We call on all stakeholders to step up: commit to ocean protection, phase out fossil fuels, and support youth-led efforts to secure a just and sustainable future. The ocean can’t wait, and neither can we.