The Ocean Race returns to the UN Ocean Conference

The Ocean Race is set to make a significant impact at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in Nice, France from June 9 to 13. Building on its participation in the 2022 conference in Lisbon, The Ocean

Race continues its commitment to ocean conservation through its Racing for the Ocean programme.

Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, UNOC 3 will focus on advancing ocean science and the implementation of SDG 14 (Life Below Water), with urgent calls to complete global ocean governance initiatives like the High Seas Treaty and the 30x30 target.

Key events organised by The Ocean Race at UNOC3

The Ocean Race is hosting three high-level events at UNOC 3, aimed at driving concrete progress for ocean protection:

• Science and Sailing: Opportunities in the Ocean Decade (10 June)

Co-hosted with IMOCA and IFREMER, this session spotlights the vital role of sport in ocean science, showcasing over 4 million data points collected during the 2023 edition of The Ocean Race. The event also highlights the upcoming The Ocean Race Europe science programme and polar data gathered outside racing periods.

• Boosting Corporate Involvement in Ocean and Coastal Protection (10 June)

In collaboration with Volvo Cars, World Economic Forum, and leading businesses, this interactive panel explores how the private sector can strengthen marine ecosystem resilience and help achieve 30x30 biodiversity goals.

• The Power of Sport as a Convenor (12 June) 

Hosted by The Ocean Race, this discussion will examine how sport can unite diverse stakeholders, accelerate ocean literacy, and catalyse real-world impact through initiatives such as the Racing with Purpose programme.

Nature’s Baton handover: a symbol of urgency

A key symbolic moment will take place during the special event Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Coalition Summit, conveying elected representatives and officials from major coastal cities and regions, as well as from island States threatened by rising sea levels.

Following his keynote address, Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, officially handed over Nature’s Baton to Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice. The Baton, which has travelled the globe gathering messages for the ocean, calls on world leaders to radically scale up action for ocean health, ratify the High Seas Treaty, and commit to protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.

On Saturday morning Nature’s Baton was officially handed to the Mayor of Nice by Peter Thomson (United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean), carrying messages calling for urgent action for the ocean, 30x30 and the High Seas Treaty.

Within the Baton was a letter from Peter Thomson to Mayor Estrosi, which reads in part: “There can be no healthy planet without a healthy ocean… Your city’s hosting of the Third UN Ocean Conference is in itself a great statement of solidarity with the global effort to improve humanity’s relationship with the ocean... From Nice we will set a course for a world in which we have stopped polluting and overexploiting the ocean and have restored and protected its precious ecosystems.”

Nature’s Baton arrived in Nice on Friday 6 June, after sailing up the Mediterranean coast from The Ocean Race headquarters in Alicante, Spain, on Ericsson 1, a legends racing boat that competed in The Ocean Race around the world (Volvo Ocean Race) in 2005-06. Tamara Echegoyen, a sailor in past editions of The Ocean Race and an Olympic Gold medallist and flag bearer for Spain was on board for the delivery. 

The Baton will be used later at UNOC to publicise a snapshot of preliminary results from The Ocean’s Logbook, a powerful new public campaign designed to capture the world’s emotional connection to the ocean by listening to people’s voices and feelings, as they share their experiences living in a world impacted by declining ocean health. The Ocean’s Logbook is a long-term initiative, but initial findings will be shared in Nice.

Retour à Nice/Return to Nice: The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Following UNOC 3, The Ocean Race will return to Nice for the first time as part of The Ocean Race Europe 2025. From 29 to 31 August, the city will host a stopover featuring a public Ocean Live Park, IMOCA fleet arrivals, prize-giving ceremony, and leg start. This historic visit marks the first time an event under The Ocean Race banner will visit France’s Mediterranean coast. The stopover builds on the momentum from UNOC 3, reinforcing the commitment to ocean protection through The Ocean Race’s Racing with Purpose programme, which integrates ocean science, education, and advocacy.

Broader engagement at UNOC

Beyond the above main events, The Ocean Race will be actively present at several other key moments, including:

• One Ocean Science Congress (June 4-6)
  
  
• Blue Economy Finance Forum in Monaco, including an MoU signing with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
• World Oceans Day (June 8)
  
  
• High Seas Alliance Treaty signing (June 9)
  
  
• Ongoing Green Zone public outreach activities at Nice Port and the Palais des Expositions

About The Ocean Race

The Ocean Race is the world’s toughest test of a team in sport and a leader in ocean advocacy. Through its Racing with Purpose programme, it combines sailing with scientific research, education, and policy influence to help restore the health of the ocean. From raising ocean literacy to influencing multilateral agreements, The Ocean Race is committed to giving the ocean a voice at the decision-making events.