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Spotlight on nature and biodiversity

Nature is humanity’s lifeline. Human health, food, economies and well-being depend on nature. Yet nature is in crisis. One million of the world’s estimated 8 million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Meanwhile, ecosystem degradation is affecting the well-being of 40 per cent of the global population.

The spotlight on nature and biodiversity highlights updates from around the UN System, from partners and others, helping to call attention to the need for a just, prosperous and sustainable future for all.

16 Jun 2025 16:55

Swimming with sharks to save them

 

For decades, sharks have been portrayed as killing machines. However, it is humans who kill an estimated 274,000 sharks every single day.

Fifty years after the movie Jaws hit the big screen, UN Environment Programme Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh is swimming 96km around Martha’s Vineyard to rewrite the narrative and challenge long-held fears about sharks.

12 Jun 2025 18:07

A new strategic direction for regional seas

People pose for a photo
Credit: UNEP

 

In her opening remarks at the 24th Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans held alongside the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen praised the Regional Seas Programme as a “seawall that can help to hold back the surge” of ocean threats.

Speaking to delegates and ocean leaders, Andersen underscored the critical role of regional cooperation in tackling the ocean crisis – from pollution and climate change to the urgent need to protect biodiversity.

She emphasized that meeting global targets is not just about numbers but about ensuring that protected areas truly deliver for people and nature.

“We need to be sure that what we protect is representative of unique and important biodiversity; that the quality of what we protect is ensured; that we have contiguity in ecosystem terms; and that this work is rooted in equity.”

Read the full speech

11 Jun 2025 16:35

UN recognizes World Restoration Flagships in East Africa, Mexico, and Spain

A seal
Credit: UNEP/Todd Brown

 

Three inspiring initiatives have just been named the newest UN World Restoration Flagships. Together, these #GenerationRestoration champions are restoring nearly five million hectares of marine ecosystems across Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

Restoring the Northern Mozambique Channel Region (Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania)

A biodiversity hotspot home to coral reefs, whale sharks, and sea turtles. Countries are restoring over 87,000 hectares with plans to scale up to 4.85 million hectares by 2030.

Ecosystems restoration in Mar Menor (Spain)

Europe’s first ecosystem with legal personhood. Once collapsing due to pollution, it’s bouncing back thanks to joint action by citizens, farmers, and the government.

Comprehensive island restoration in Mexico

A global model for island restoration. After 26 years of work, 85 per cent of lost seabird colonies have returned. The goal: restore 100 islands by 2030.

Read more about the World Restoration Flagships

10 Jun 2025 17:18

BBNJ Agreement sees surge in ratifications at UNOC

Humpback whale tail, Reunion Island
Credit:  Ocean Image Bank/ François Baelen 

 

The Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) sets clearer protections for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

At the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, the number of ratifications rose to 50, bringing the world closer to the 60 needed for the Agreement to enter into force.

For the latest status of signatures and ratifications, visit the UN Treaty Collection website.

Learn more about the BBNJ Agreement

10 Jun 2025 16:59

Advancing ocean cooperation: Regional Seas leaders to meet in Nice

Two men fishing
Credit: UNEP/Lisa Murray

 

The 24th Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans will take place on 11th June from 08:30 - 18:30 hrs in Nice, France, on the margins of the third UN Ocean Conference.

The meeting brings together regional ocean leaders to strengthen cooperation for ocean governance and aligns action with global commitments such as the Global Goals, the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Three new UN World Restoration Flagships will also be awarded, celebrating ambitious, large-scale restoration efforts that demonstrate achievements in sustainable ocean ecosystems and are embedded in the Regional Seas.

09 Jun 2025 14:40

One Ocean Finance: Unlocking investment for a healthy ocean

Sea creatures
Credit: Irene Middleton

 

This week at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco, global partners kicked off the co-design process for One Ocean Finance – a new initiative to rethink how we fund ocean action.

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and others, the effort aims to channel billions in capital from ocean-linked industries into solutions that restore ocean health, support coastal communities, and drive sustainable growth.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen called the initiative “a new financial future for the ocean,” adding:

“Our goal is to address decades of underinvestment, bring fragmented efforts together, and design a system that truly serves coastal communities and marine ecosystems.”

Now being carried forward to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, One Ocean Finance invites all sectors to get involved and help shape a more inclusive, effective ocean finance system. 

Read the full press release.

09 Jun 2025 14:22

UNEP Executive Director on solutions to environmental challenges

Underwater seascapes
Credit: Vanessa Mignon

 

In a video interview with France 24, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen called for an end to the business as usual scenario in solving environmental challenges, saying, 

“Wherever I go – whether it’s on climate related settings or whether it’s biodiversity or whether it’s here as oceans or whether we are talking pollution – young people understand that continuing as we are, the business as usual scenario, is simply not a scenario that they can sustain in their future.”

09 Jun 2025 09:07

UN Ocean Summit kicks off today in Nice, France

Underwater Seascapes
Credit: Taryn Schulz Cormorant love

 

Today marks the official opening of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. Running from 9 – 13 June, the conference is a pivotal moment for countries and partners around the world to step up efforts to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.

Stay tuned as we dive into a week of solutions and commitment for our shared ocean, and visit the UNEP at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference to learn more about UNEP’s engagement throughout the week.

08 Jun 2025 08:54

Happy World Oceans Day!

Screenshot of Jason Mamoa Instagram post on World Oceans Day.

The ocean supports humanity in countless ways, and when the ocean suffers, so do we. Instead of protecting it, we’ve polluted its depths and pushed it to the brink.

This World Oceans Day, Jason Momoa, UNEP Advocate for Life Below Water, shares a powerful message reminding us of our shared responsibility to protect and restore our ocean.

22 May 2025 19:06

Placing nature at the heart of development

 

On the International Day for Biological Diversity, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen urges everyone, everywhere, to commit to placing nature at the very heart of development.