Celebrated each year on 8 June, World Ocean Day is a reminder of the central role the ocean plays in sustaining life on Earth – from regulating the climate to producing oxygen and providing food, medicine, and biodiversity. Hosted by the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, in partnership with Oceanic Global, this year's edition called attention to the ocean as a source of life supporting humanity and all organisms on Earth.
For UNU Paris, this moment is of particular importance. The office is currently developing the UNU Ocean & Coasts Programme, an initiative at the intersection of science, public policy, and multilateral action with the goal of resulting in a future UNU institute in France dedicated to the Oceans and coasts.
A Week of Engagement in Paris
The days surrounding 8 June offered an opportunity to advance UNU's work and engage with Paris' vibrant ocean community across sectors.
UNU Paris and the UN System
On 2 June, UNU Paris participated in a conference organised by the French United Nations Association (AFNU), focused on ocean protection and governance in the wake of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Denis Bailly, Senior Fellow at UNU Paris, discussed ocean data sharing alongside Frédérique Chlous (National Museum of Natural History) and Marine Lecerf (Ocean & Climate Platform). Drawing on his expertise in marine economics and governance, Mr Bailly underscored the urgency of closing knowledge gaps through coordinated international action:
Coordinated oceanographic campaigns, open science, and knowledge-sharing are essential – not only through data repositories, but also through critical analyses shared with policymakers and society.
Next, on 8 June, UNU Paris attended the first Neptune Forum, an initiative launched by President Emmanuel Macron during the 3rd UN Ocean Conference held in Nice in June 2025, under the leadership of Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, Ambassador for the poles and the oceans at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs - gathering scientists, explorers, diplomats, leaders, philanthropists, and artists around a central question: how to govern the ocean of the 21st century and rebuild global cooperation in service of the living world?
For UNU Paris, the Neptune Forum was an excellent opportunity to re-connect with colleagues, meet key actors operating at the intersection of science, diplomacy and policy in the emerging French and international ocean governance ecosystem, and explore joint activities.
For us, this holds particular significance, as we are inherently an oceanic people. But even landlocked nations have a perspective shaped by the Ocean. It is an invitation for all countries to reconsider their relationship with the Ocean: when protecting it, we are protecting humanity itself.
Finally, on 9 June, UNU Paris took part in a roundtable hosted by Utopies, a sustainability consultancy, on the theme "The ocean: blind spot or strategic opportunity for companies?", held at the Climate House in Paris. The event offered a valuable opening to the private sector, with participants from insurance, entrepreneurship, and banking – a reminder that ocean governance is both a business and a policy imperative.
Paris as a Hub for Ocean Dialogue
This week’s activities underscored Paris and France’s capacity to convene diverse stakeholders, from science and diplomacy to civil society and the private sector, for meaningful international dialogue on ocean issues.
For UNU Paris, World Oceans Day was another opportunity to anchor the UNU Ocean & Coasts Programme, within the networks and momentum that will shape the future of ocean governance.
