World leaders in France for UN ocean summit

NICE, France, June 9 ------ World leaders travel to France ahead of a high-level summit to tackle a deepening crisis in the oceans driven by overfishing, climate change and pollution. The United Nations says oceans face an "emergency," and leaders gathering in Nice will be under pressure to commit much-needed money and stronger protections for the ailing seas and the people that depend on them.

The UN Ocean Conference must try to turn a corner as nations feud over deep-sea mining, plastic litter and exploitative fishing against a backdrop of wider geopolitical tensions. Some 50 heads of state and government are expected to attend, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei.

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to sail to Nice from Monaco, where he is attending a related event aimed at raising private capital for ocean conservation. That evening, Macron will host leaders for a dinner of Mediterranean fish ahead of the summit's formal opening on Monday.

Peaceful demonstrations are expected over the five-day event, and France has deployed 5,000 police to the heritage-listed city where scientists, business leaders and environmental activists are also attending in big numbers. A strong turnout is also expected from Pacific Island nations, whose delegations will demand greater financial assistance to fight the rising seas, marine trash and plunder of fisheries that threaten their very survival.

The United States under President Donald Trump — whose recent push to fast-track seabed mining in international waters sparked global outrage — is not expected to send a delegation. Conservationists have warned the summit — which will not produce a legally binding agreement — risks being a talk fest unless leaders come armed with concrete proposals for restoring marine health. Chief among these is securing the missing finance to get anywhere near protecting 30 percent of the world's oceans by 2030, a globally agreed target.

Source: manilatimes.net