UN Global Compact to Champion Sustainable Ocean Action at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice

What: UN Global Compact at United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)
Where: Nice, France
When 8–12 June 2025
RSVP: To request attendance at an event or to interview CEO and Executive Director, Sanda Ojiambo please email media@unglobalcompact.org

The United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, will play a central role at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France. As ocean health reaches a critical tipping point, the UN Global Compact will convene global leaders, launch transformative partnerships, and promote bold private-sector leadership to drive a just and sustainable ocean economy. 

A major milestone at UNOC3 will be the official launch of the Ocean Investment Protocol — a groundbreaking guide co-developed by the UN Global Compact and UNEP Finance Initiative to mobilize capital and de-risk investments across ocean sectors such as shipping, offshore renewables, blue food, ports, and coastal resilience. The Protocol provides a clear, actionable pathway to scale private finance and catalyze innovation in support of the Paris Agreement, SDG14 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Underscoring this ambition, the UN Global Compact — alongside the International Chamber of Commerce, the World Economic Forum, and other partners — has co-convened a landmark Business Call to Action: Land and Sea, a Vital Connection for a Thriving and Resilient Economy. This high-level declaration urges companies across all sectors to accelerate action for ocean sustainability by integrating ocean-related risks and opportunities into their strategies, scaling innovative finance solutions, reducing pollution, and supporting a just transition for coastal communities. It also calls on policymakers to deliver science-based, stable, and harmonized frameworks to enable business leadership on ocean action. The Call to Action will be released on 8 June at UNOC3’s Blue Economy and Finance Forum.

UN Global Compact Highlights at UNOC3:

Networking Reception: Ocean Moment with Norway
Date/Time: Sunday, 8 June | 19:00–21:00 CET
Location: Fortescue Green Pioneer Ship (Port TBD)
The UN Global Compact will host an evening with global ocean leaders, reinforcing the role of business and multilateral partnerships in delivering a just and sustainable ocean transition.

Launch of the Ocean Investment Protocol
Date/Time: Sunday, 8 June | 11:05–11:55 CET
Location: Grimaldi Center, Monaco
Role: High-Level Panel on Ocean Finance
The Ocean Investment Protocol fills a long-standing gap in the sustainable finance landscape. Designed for governments, institutional investors, banks, insurers, development finance institutions, and companies, it lays out a set of practical recommendations to accelerate investment in the blue economy. It also integrates best-in-class global frameworks, including the Sustainable Ocean Principles and the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles.

From Nice to Belém: The Road to COP30
Date/Time: Monday, 9 June | 11:30–12:15 CET
Location: Green Zone, Orca Room
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact will bridge conversations between UNOC3 and COP30, highlighting how ocean action must be embedded in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

Oceans20 Dialogue – G20 Collaboration
Date/Time: Monday, 9 June | 15:45–17:00 CET
Location: Blue Zone, Room 4
The UN Global Compact will continue its leadership of the Oceans20 initiative under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, advocating for ocean action that supports energy security, climate mitigation, food systems, and equitable growth through a multilateral and South-South cooperation lens.

Ocean Data for Action
Date/Time: Monday, 9 June | 18:30–20:30 CET
Location: Hôtel Aston La Scala
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact will speak at a high-level reception on bathymetric and seabed data sharing, underscoring the critical need for transparent ocean data to inform risk assessments, spatial planning, and sustainable investment.

Engineering for Ocean Sustainability
Date/Time: Tuesday, 10 June | 09:00–09:30 CET
Location: Hôtel Aston La Scala
The UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director, Sanda Ojiambo, will spotlight the role of engineering and innovation in delivering safe and sustainable ocean infrastructure, echoing the importance of integrating science and evidence into policy design. 

Navigating Arctic Futures
Date/Time: Tuesday, 10 June | 10:00–12:00 CET
Location: On board the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Nice Port
Highlighting ocean-climate linkages and the Arctic as a global bellwether, UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director, Sanda Ojiambo, will stress the importance of inclusive and evidence-based governance in fragile marine ecosystems.

Ocean Centres Initiative Launch
Date/Time: Tuesday, 10 June | 15:45–17:00 CET
Location: Blue Zone, Room 5
Role: Opening Remarks by Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact
The UN Global Compact, in partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation, will launch the Ocean Centres Initiative — a first-of-its-kind network of multi-stakeholder platforms hosted by UN Global Compact Country Networks in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The Centres will promote safer and more sustainable ocean industries by embedding safety in policy, engineering, and investment decision-making across sectors such as shipping, offshore renewables, ports, and aquaculture.

Blue value, shared future: Mediterranean business innovation for a sustainable blue economy
Date/Time: Wednesday, 11 June | 11:30–12:30 CET
Location: Nice Business Ocean Forum
This session will bring together companies from across the Mediterranean to explore the central role of the private sector in driving the transition to a sustainable, low-emission blue economy. Focusing on key sectors such as maritime transport, coastal tourism, energy, food, and finance, this session will highlight how innovative business models are helping regenerate marine ecosystems while creating economic value.

Partnerships for Oceans’ Protection
Date/Time: Thursday, 12 June | 2:00–4:00 pm CET
Location: Green Zone, La Baleine
In this panel, organised by the Métropole de Nice and the UN Global Compact Network France, we will explore the links between the global 2030 Agenda and local implementations especially through a public-private partnerships lens.

The UN Global Compact is driving momentum for a safe, sustainable, and investable ocean economy by fostering innovative finance, data sharing, and locally led collaboration. Through initiatives like the Ocean Centres and the Ocean Investment Protocol, the UN Global Compact is uniting business, governments, and civil society to unlock the potential of the ocean as a catalyst for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Notes to Editors

About the UN Global Compact

The ambition of the UN Global Compact is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 20,000 participating companies, 5 Regional Hubs, 63 Country Networks covering 80 countries and 13 Country Managers establishing Networks in 18 other countries, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative — one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.