Conservation, viable use of oceans, seas & marine resources crucial for sustainable development

The United Nations (UN) System in Georgetown, in collaboration with the French Diplomatic Office, has hosted an edition of ‘Blue Talks’, a multi-stakeholder discussion and debate intended to support preparations for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), slated for June 2025.
In his opening remarks, delivered ahead of World Oceans Day, which is observed today, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat highlighted Guyana’s commitment to “balance economic development and preservation of the environment.”
Acknowledging that the 2025 Oceans Conference would be held under the theme ‘Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’, Bharrat welcomed statements from a group of more than fifty participants while highlighting Guyana’s global climate leadership.
These ‘Blue Talks’, which follow similar events planned by France and Costa Rica, have socialized subjects directly relevant to Guyana’s coastal and oceanic ecosystems. Speakers from national government authorities, the private sector, the UN System, civil society, and non-governmental organizations spoke of issues regarding sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; financing sustainable ocean management; the diversification of the blue economy; the criticality of science, data, analytics; and innovation in oceans management, as well as efforts to reduce all forms of marine pollution.

UN Resident Coordinator Yesim Oruç highlighted that the 2025 Ocean Conference would seek to accelerate ‘Life Below Water’, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
She explained that UN General Assembly resolution 78/128 “states a global emergency in our oceans: sea level rise, ocean heating, ocean acidification, and deoxygenation,” and called on all stakeholders to urgently promote integrated, multi-stakeholder responses to promote sustainable use of the world’s oceans. And she welcomed the practical, action-oriented advice of participants.
This edition of the ‘Blue Talks’ is an initiative of the Chargé d’Affaires of the French Diplomatic Office in Guyana. Jean-Jacques Forté has said, “Guyana, as a coastal nation rich in vast oceanic resources, faces challenges that require a multidimensional and collaborative approach, urgent attention, and concerted action.”
He encouraged all stakeholders to continue contributing to further policy discussions and the formulation of nationally agreed messages that would be taken to the 2025 Oceans Conference, while reaffirming France’s steadfast support for climate action and ocean sustainability.