June 11, 2025

From Monday to Friday, heads of state and government leaders from over 60 countries will convene in Nice, southern France, for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). However, the absence of one major maritime power has made headlines. 

French media outlet Le Monde said that the absence of the US is "regrettable." Until the very last moment, French diplomats reportedly tried to persuade an American delegation to attend. "I regret that some heads of state choose to disregard science, or even discredit scientific studies and warnings in order to find an excuse for inaction," Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France's minister for ecological transition, was quoted by Le Monde as saying.

According to UN News, as coral reefs bleach, fish stocks collapse, and sea temperatures break records, the UNOC3 is regarded as one of the most urgent diplomatic gatherings of the year. It is expected to play a vital role in strengthening the international ocean governance system and promoting the sustainable development of the oceans. At such a critical moment when the world is working together to tackle the marine ecological crisis, the US' absence is striking.

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