Taoiseach Michéal Martin Strives for Ireland’s Leadership in Maritime Policy

Taoiseach Michéal Martin has expressed his aspiration for Ireland to emerge as a “leading nation” in global maritime policy. His remarks came as he arrived in France to participate in the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), currently taking place in Nice until Friday.

As we commemorate a decade since the historic Paris Agreement, which set ambitious targets for limiting global warming, the spotlight now turns to the world’s oceans at UNOC3. This pivotal conference is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.

This year’s event builds on previous UN ocean conferences in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022), underlining the enduring global commitment to ocean preservation.

Tomorrow, Mr. Martin is set to join the launch of the European Ocean Pact—a collaborative initiative co-hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron. This pact, recently adopted by the Commission, consolidates various EU ocean policies into a cohesive framework, aiming to assist member states in protecting and restoring maritime ecosystems.

Demonstrators gathered in Nice ahead of the conference, reflecting the public’s concern and urgency surrounding maritime issues.

The Taoiseach emphasized that the pact will prioritize essential maritime policies, including sustainable economic activities in coastal communities and the development of renewable energy sources. “This is a crucial step forward,” he noted, highlighting a new European law on the oceans expected by 2027 to combat illegal fishing.

Later in the day, Mr. Martin will deliver a significant statement representing Ireland at the conference’s main plenary session, reaffirming the pact’s commitment to climate action and biodiversity, while also paving the way for additional funding.

Mr. Martin remarked, “This participation is a remarkable boost to multilateralism, and we hope to pave a consensus that allows for a robust framework for ocean protection.” With world leaders, UN representatives, climate advocates, scientists, businesses, and coastal community members in attendance, this conference is seen as pivotal for the future of the world’s oceans.

Despite the collaborative efforts, marine scientists warn that the situation remains dire. Decades of plastic pollution, overfishing, seabed mining, coral bleaching, and climate change threaten marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal populations, especially in the Global South. The world’s oceans are responsible for producing half of the planet’s oxygen, and over three billion people rely on marine resources for their survival.

The United Nations projects that approximately 12 million metric tonnes of plastic enter our oceans annually—equivalent to a truckload every minute. Alarmingly, more than 60% of marine ecosystems are already degraded, and global fish stocks classified as within safe biological limits have plunged from 90% in the 1970s to just over 62% in 2021.

The rising sea temperatures pose additional threats to marine habitats. This year, evidence of significant coral bleaching has emerged in locations across the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and parts of the Pacific.

Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, underscores the urgency, stating, “We are facing an unprecedented crisis in our oceans.” While various important pledges have been made, no binding legal framework currently exists to unify these efforts.

In a positive development, 21 countries ratified the High Seas Treaty in 2023, a number that has since grown to 32, including eight European nations: France, Finland, Hungary, Spain, Latvia, Norway, Slovenia, and Romania. Ireland has signed the treaty but has yet to ratify it, leaving the implementation dependent on gathering 60 signatories at the UN level.

Over the next five days in Nice, the conference is set to yield numerous new pledges from participating governments. Organizers hope that by Friday, nations will endorse the Nice Ocean Action Plan—a political declaration aimed at accelerating collective action for ocean conservation and sustainable use.

While at the conference, Mr. Martin will also engage in important bilateral meetings with various global leaders, including King Abdullah II of Jordan, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who played a critical role in climate policy under the Biden administration.