The full name of the Oceans Conference organised by the United Nations in Nice, until 13 June is very long: “The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

This is the third Conference on the topic, building upon those hosted by Sweden and Fiji in 2017 in New York and by Portugal and Kenya in 2022 in Lisbon. This year, the “hosts” are the French and Costa Rican governments, who will welcome hundreds of people, including the heads of state of dozens of countries, diplomats, members of small and large associations, foundations, government and non-government organisations, whose common objective, declined in many different roles, is to protect our oceans.

If the oceans were an economy, they would be the seventh largest in the worls, with an estimated value of 2.5 trillion American dollars, an estimate reached by calculating the abundant goods and services provided by our oceans, from fishing to maritime transport, coastal tourism, aquaculture and the production of food and medicine. But the current state of health of this ecosystem which allows us to live by producing over 50% of the oxygen we breathe and absorbing a third of the carbon dioxide emissions we continue to produce, is dire.

Scientific studies have been continuing to warn us urgently for over a decade, that the oceans and seas, whose presence we take for granted, are getting warmer and with less life. The consequences of this situation on humanity vary from serious to apocalyptic, with a lack of protein from millions of people when the level of plastics becomes more than the number of fish living there, the erosion of beaches and the coastlines of islands only a few metres above sea level.

The sailing industry is becoming an increasingly important player in contributing to scientific research and spreading information on the climate and the oceans. Giovanni Soldini was a pioneer in this sense, working based on his very real worry about the state of things, as he shared in his latest documentary, “Giovanni Soldini – my trip around the world.”

Currently, Luca Rosetti, on his new Class 40 Maccaferri Futura, has integrated data collection into his new project, joining the ranks of other skippers working with this goal, like those participating in The Ocean Race, on board the Imoca, who, during the world tour in Europe will be stopping in Genova.

For five days, Nice will be at the centre of attention, as participants exchange scientific data, debate initiatives, find funding and create partnerships to save and protect one of the most important common goods for humankind: the oceans.