The Ocean Project is proud to participate in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, from June 7–13, as we continue our mission to catalyze collective action for a healthy ocean and a sustainable future. The World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council members will spotlight the critical role that youth leadership, civil society partnerships, and global coordination play in advancing equitable and effective ocean governance.
The Ocean Project will be represented in Nice by youth delegates from around the world. Members of our current cohort of the Youth Council include Kenia Magdalena Marcano (Trinidad and Tobago), Thomas Finger (Brazil), and Paulina Slawek (Poland). Several Youth Council alumni will also be at Nice, including Kjeld Werther, Rada Pandeva, Dana Ahmed and Bodhi Patel, as well as others involved in our global youth leaders network.
Together, and collaborating with other youth-focused organizations, we will help catalyze connections for conservation and aggressive action for our one world ocean.
If you are interested in connecting with our team on the ground in Nice to learn more about our work and collaborate, contact Jihyun Lee, Global Outreach Coordinator at The Ocean Project ([email protected]) and follow us @WorldOceanDay for updates throughout the week. You can also catch some of the action here:
Working with partner organizations, we are pleased to invite you to join us in the sessions and events that we are supporting throughout the Conference:
- 3 June, Monday from 4:40pm-5:55pm CEST – European Digital Ocean Pavilion, Voices of Ocean Action (Green Zone): A full day of inspiring sessions showcasing how citizen science, digital tools, ocean literacy and global networks are advancing ocean knowledge and sustainability. From hands-on projects and research to inclusive community engagement, discover how diverse actors are shaping the future of our ocean. Spanning four sessions throughout the day, the program features impactful interventions from initiatives across the globe, highlights from the UN Ocean Decade ECOP Programme, and dynamic contributions from youth and early career networks. Featuring Global Outreach Coordinator Jihyun Lee
- 6 June, Friday from 10:00am-11:30am EDT (UNOC Virtual Event) – Waves of Change: A Global Youth Showcase and Community Building Virtual Festival for the Ocean.: Join youth worldwide for a virtual showcase of ocean action and creativity, with breakout sessions to connect, inspire, and catalyze change! You’ll hear from young leaders using video, social media, art, and community outreach to drive change in their communities. Then, dive into breakout rooms based on these approaches to share your own story, connect with peers, and exchange ideas. Featuring Youth Advisory Council Shanzay Khanzada, Tariq Lawal- Register Here
- 7 June, 5:00pm-6:30 pm (Plage Lenval to Plage du Centenaire) – Blue March: As world leaders gather in Nice for the UN Ocean Conference, this is the moment to raise our voices for the ocean. The call is clear: it’s time to move from words to action. From exploitation to protection. The future of the ocean — and of generations to come — depends on it. 📣 Join the march to demand: ✅ An end to harmful subsidies ✅ A moratorium on deep-sea mining ✅ Real protection for coastal communities ✅ A healthy, thriving ocean
- 8 June, World Ocean Day! – GIVE AWAY with Heirs to Our Ocean: To celebrate World Ocean Day and our love for the ocean, we are collaborating with Heirs to Our Ocean, and GenOcean for a World Ocean Day Give Away! Winners will win, T-shirts, stickers, and even a pair of Costa Sunglasses. Keep attentive to our social media to learn how to win this amazing prize bundle!
- 8 June, 14:00-17:00 CEST – Co-Creating Ocean Stories: Puppetry and Law in an Interdisciplinary Journey for SDG 14 (NOW Studio, 15 Bd Lech Walesa, Nice) Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Dana Ahmed, World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Rada Pandeva
- 9-13 June, 10am CEST (Green Zone) – The Morning Tides: Your Daily UNOC Youth Briefings. Join youth and ECOP UNOC participants daily at the Beyond Borders Pavilion in the Green Zone to network, understand main events and commitments, and maximize your conference participation. Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council members Kenia Marcano, Paulina Slawek, and Thomas Finger. The Ocean Project | World Ocean Day will co-lead the Morning Tides session on June 9, Monday.
- 9 June, 12:45pm-1:30pm – Launching CEOL – Coalition of Emerging Ocean Leaders: A Manifesto for Ocean Sustainability (Green Zone, Orca Room) Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Kjeld Werther, Global Outreach Coordinator Jihyun Lee
- 10 June, 10:00am-11:15am – From the Surface to the Seabed: Can BBNJ and the ISA Coexist? (Campus Saint-Jean d’Angély, room 2b08): Join us for a Youth-led, interdisciplinary discussion on High Seas biodiversity – connecting BBNJ, deep sea mining and the role of the ISA through perspectives from science and policy. Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Lydia Rysavy, Featuring Global Outreach Coordinator Jihyun Lee
- 10 June, 15:30-17:00 – Youth Action for Ocean Protection and the Role of Ecocide Law (Green Zone, Mama Shelter, 21 boulevard de Riquier, 06300, rooftop): This event will engage youth delegates, activists, and partner organizations attending the UN Ocean Conference, policymakers and government representatives, legal experts specializing in environmental and maritime law, ocean conservation organizations and marine scientists, media representatives covering ocean issues and environmental law, and other stakeholders. Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Paulina Slawek, World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Dana Ahmed
- 11 June, 12:00-13:00 – Blue Thread: Public presentation (Green Zone, Beyond Borders Pavilion) World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Rada Pandeva
- 12 June from 6:00pm-7:00pm – Enhancing Ocean Literacy and Empowering Youth Leadership to Protect the Deep Sea (Green Zone, Ocean Literacy Pavilion) Featuring World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Thomas Finger, World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Alumni Kjeld Werther
For more about UNOC3, please visit here.