Programme
10 - 12 June 2025 | Ocean conference
TUESDAY 10 June
Antarctica: The Climate Frontline
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CEST
Antarctica is warming fast—three degrees hotter than in the 1950s—putting wildlife and the global climate at risk. It’s home to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the only ocean current linking all major oceans. Record-low sea ice means this is the latest in winter a ship has reached Antarctica. Scientists are studying melting glaciers, nutrient release, and underwater tsunamis caused by ice break-off. ITV News’ Science team joins the RRS David Attenborough for a month-long mission with exclusive access to British Antarctic Survey scientists.What happens in Antarctica doesn't stay in Antarctica—and what scientists uncover could shape our warming world’s future.
Speaker:
- Martin Stew, Science Correspondent, ITV News
Moderator: Rageh Omaar, News Anchor, ITV News
Scaling Sustainable Aquaculture Through Technology and Innovation
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM CEST
This talk will explore how innovations and technologies are driving the sustainable growth of aquaculture, supporting food security and nutrition while reducing environmental impact. It will highlight how effective management, new technologies, and improved animal health practices are unlocking the sector’s potential for sustainable development. Country examples will show how these approaches are being used to scale production responsibly and in harmony with nature. The talk will also introduce a hands-on education toolkit for students aged 5 to 18, piloted in schools around the Mediterranean and Black Sea, which raises awareness of aquatic food systems and empowers youth to support sustainable aquaculture.
Speakers:
- Manuel Barange, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, UN Food and Agriculture Organization
- Dr. Drusila Bayate, Vice Minister for Fisheries, Republic of the Philippines
- Marilou Suc, Co-founder, Network of Women in Aquaculture
Moderator: Carlos Fuentevilla, Fishery Officer, UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Small Island Developing States: Leaders for Ocean Action
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM CEST
This panel will explore how Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can use the ocean to support food security, climate action, disaster risk reduction, justice, and sustainable growth. Speakers will discuss key ways to scale up ocean-friendly solutions and help SIDS achieve SDG14. The session will also introduce UNDP’s new SIDS Strategy, aligned with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda, and highlight the GEF-funded, UNDP-led Blue and Green Islands Programme.
Speakers:
- Francine Pickup, UNDP Deputy Assistant Administrator, Deputy Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Head of UNDP Delegation for UNOC3
- Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo, Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde to the UN,
- Ambassador Luteru, Permanent Representative for Samoa to the UN
Moderator: Kate Brown, Executive Director, Global Islands Partnerships (GLISPA)
The Role of AI, Big Data, and Digital Innovation for Ocean Sustainability
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM CEST
This panel will showcase innovative data and technology solutions that support better ocean governance and the sustainable use of marine resources. From satellite monitoring to AI-powered biodiversity tracking and open data platforms, the discussion will highlight tools that improve ocean monitoring and knowledge sharing. The session will also introduce key ocean-related features of the SIDS Global Data Hub as a concrete step to accelerate action and engage more partners.
Moderator:
- Dr. Greg Scott, Executive Director, SDG Data Alliance, PVBLIC Foundation
Welcome and Setting the Scene:
- Mr. Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Executive Chairman, PVBLIC Foundation
Opening Remarks:
- Ambassador Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean
Speakers:
- Ambassador Viliami Va'inga Tōnē, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations
- H.E. Ruleta Camacho-Thomas, Ambassador for Climate Change, Antigua & Barbuda
- Dr. Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist and Oceanographer, Esri, USA
- Mark Heine, CEO, Fugro, the Netherlands
- Ramraj Narasimhan, Senior Director, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, India
Closing Remarks: Mr. Stephen Keppel, President, PVBLIC Foundation
WEDNESDAY 11 June
Ocean Finance
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM CEST
This panel will explore how to turn today’s ocean challenges—such as over-exploitation, pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change—into opportunities for inclusive, ocean-positive development. Speakers will discuss the enabling conditions, partnerships, and financial innovations needed to scale up investment in a sustainable ocean economy. The session will also highlight successful models, tools, and approaches that are making a real impact, offering practical takeaways for scaling public and private finance to protect the ocean and ensure no one is left behind.
Speakers:
- Hon. Minister Flavien Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment, Seychelles
- Chip Cunliffe, Senior Director, Innovation & Pipeline Development, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance
- Francine Pickup, UNDP Delegation Lead, and Deputy Director, UNDP Bureau of Policy and Programme Support
- Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Executive Director, UN Capital Development Fund
Moderator: Thede Ruest, Project Manager and Technical Lead, UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub
Protecting the Planet’s Ocean: A Dialogue with Fabien Cousteau
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CEST
Join ITV News Anchor Rageh Omaar in conversation with Fabien Cousteau, the renowned ocean explorer, environmentalist, and grandson of the legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau—as he takes us beneath the surface of our planet’s most critical ecosystems. Cousteau has spent a lifetime exploring the deep sea, changing our perceptions of life underwater and advocating for its protection. Cousteau will share powerful stories from the frontlines of marine conservation, from the vibrant coral reefs of the tropics to the rapidly changing waters of Antarctica. This discussion will be an eye-opening journey through Earth’s last wild frontiers—and a call to action to protect them.
Speaker:
- Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Ocean Conservationist, and Documentary Filmmaker
Moderator: Rageh Omaar, News Anchor, ITV News
Ocean Heroes: Engaging Youth Through Interactive Ocean Science
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM CEST
This session will introduce Ocean Heroes, a new educational game developed by UNESCO-IOC, Minecraft Education, and the Voice of the Ocean Foundation. Through immersive gameplay, students take on virtual marine missions tackling real-world issues like coral reef loss and plastic pollution. The panel will explore how the game builds ocean literacy, critical thinking, and youth engagement. It will also highlight UNESCO-IOC’s broader role in transforming ocean science into action and driving solutions for the Ocean Decade and the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.
Speaker:
- Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Assistant Director-General, UNESCO
Moderator: Naka Kondo, Editorial Manager, Economist Impact
Turning the Tide: Defending Our Ocean’s Future
2 PM - 2:30 PM CEST
At this critical juncture for our ocean, endurance swimmer and UNEP Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh joins the Executive Director of UNEP Inger Andersen for a powerful conversation on the state of the seas. From the frontlines of polar swims to high-level environmental negotiations, they explore the urgent priorities for UNOC-3 — from plastic pollution and marine biodiversity to blue finance and the 30x30 global commitment. With insights from Pugh’s headline-making Shark Swim campaign and UNEP’s science-backed strategies, this session challenges world leaders to match the ocean’s resilience with bold, immediate action to secure a sustainable future for all.
Speakers:
- Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans
- Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP
Moderator: Martina Donlon, Officer-in-Charge, Sustainable Development Section, UN Department of Global Communications
Resilient Prosperity for People and Planet: A Systems Approach to Ocean Finance
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM CEST
The ocean is central to climate regulation, biodiversity, and food security— yet remains one of the most underfinanced components of the SDGs, with a $150 billion annual gap for SDG14. Recognising the ocean as a global common good and natural capital asset, this discussion will explore how public development banks, regional blocs, and new multilateral institutions can reimagine finance to address this systemic failure. Building on the Finance in Common Ocean Coalition’s joint declaration, we will explore how financing frameworks must evolve from fragmented, project-level funding to systemic, mission-oriented investment strategies that integrate ocean ecosystems into macroeconomic and financial decision-making.
Speakers:
- H.E. Hyginus Leon, Executive Director, Development Bank of Resilient Prosperity and Ambassador at Large for the Government of Saint Lucia
- Mr. Chamberlain Emmanuel, Head of Environmental Sustainability Division, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
- Mr. Ratu Filimone, Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Coordinator and Climate Finance Specialist
Moderator: Ashaki Goodwin, Director, Government Affairs, PVBLIC Foundation
THURSDAY 12 June
Can Shipping Save Our Seas?
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM CEST
The maritime sector is the largest ocean-based industry, moving 80% of global trade and generating over $900 billion annually. Despite its scale, it remains overlooked in ocean sustainability efforts. This session will spotlight how this powerful global industry can catalyse ocean action and solutions for marine plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, exploring concrete success stories and best practices – including the IMO’s Global Industry Alliance model. It will highlight specifically how robust international regulations, technological innovation, and real-world collaborations across government, industry, and communities, especially in developing countries, are key to ensuring the transition to a more sustainable blue economy.
Speakers:
- Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright, Chair, UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection
- Simon Doran, Chair, Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety
- Fredrik Haag, Head, Office for the London Convention/Protocol and Ocean Affairs, Subdivision for Ocean Policy and Pollution Response, International Maritime Organization
- Gyorgyi Gurban, Head of Project Implementation, International Maritime Organization
Moderator: Josephine Latu-Sanft, Media and Communications Officer, International Maritime Organization
SEA BEYOND: Mobilizing Ocean Literacy through Public-Private Partnership
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CEST
This session will spotlight the renewed partnership between UNESCO-IOC and the Prada Group under the SEA BEYOND programme, a pioneering initiative launched in 2019 to promote sustainability and ocean literacy through education, awareness, and youth engagement. The UNESCO-IOC and Prada Group will announce a new Multi-Partner Trust Fund, marking an open invitation for other private actors to join the global ocean literacy movement. The panel will explore how innovative public-private collaboration can scale impact and drive transformative change. Audiences will gain insight into the power of cross-sectoral alliances to support the Ocean Decade and foster a culture of ocean stewardship.
Speakers:
- Francesca Santoro, Senior Programme Officer for Ocean Literacy, UNESCO-IOC
- Marta Monaco, Financial and Corporate Communication Director, Prada Group
Moderator: Daniele Moretti, Deputy Editor in Chief, Sky TG24
Fisheries Sustainability? Within Reach! Success Stories in Ocean Resource Management
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM CEST
This panel will provide a global overview of the current state of fish stocks, highlighting where science-based management is driving sustainability and where more action is needed. It will explore how countries and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are using data and science to guide policy, improve resource management, and enhance both productivity and sustainability. Case studies will include the recovery of key tuna species in the Pacific and progress in reducing fishing pressure and increasing biomass in the Mediterranean.
Speakers:
- Vera Agostini, Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, UN Food and Agriculture Organization
- Rhea Moss-Christian, Executive Director, Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
- Miguel Bernal, Executive Secretary, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
Moderator: Raffaella Monica Rucci, Communication Officer, UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Scientific Insights on Emerging Ocean Technologies and Governance Gaps
2:00 - 2:30 PM CEST
As interest grows in emerging ocean-based technologies—such as deep-sea mining and marine geoengineering—scientists are examining their potential impacts on marine ecosystems and the adequacy of current governance frameworks. This session will explore the state of scientific knowledge around these activities, including areas of uncertainty and concern, and discuss how science can help inform precautionary approaches and strengthen international cooperation. It will also highlight the importance of inclusive, co-produced knowledge and the need for integrated, ecosystem-based governance to guide decision-making.
Speakers:
- Dr. Peter Haugan, Co-Chair, International Science Council’s Expert Group on Ocean; Policy Director, Institute of Marine Research; and Professor, Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen
- Dr. Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, Lecturer in Ecosystem Governance & Policy, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Moderator: Léa Nacache, Communications Officer, International Science Council (TBC)
Coastal Indigenous Peoples: Challenges & Priorities
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM CEST
This session will share preliminary findings from the World Bank’s Indigenous-led regional profiles on Indigenous Peoples in coastal and marine environments. Despite 27 million Indigenous Peoples across 87 countries depending on these ecosystems, they remain underrepresented in the global blue economy and marine policy. The session will highlight key challenges, priorities, and best practices to strengthen their direct participation, followed by a panel discussion on advancing inclusion through informed policy and partnerships.
Speakers:
- Johnson Jament, Founding Director of BlueGreen Coastal Resources, India, and Member of the Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation
- Milika Sobey, Member, Women in Fisheries Network of Fiji
Moderator: Dianna Pizarro, Global Coordinator for Indigenous Peoples, World Bank