From June 9 to 13, 2025, an ICCA Consortium delegation will participate in the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Here, you will find relevant resources, policy positions, and event information. It will be updated regularly
First published on 06/05/2025, and last updated on 06/10/2025
From June 9 to 13, the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) will take place in Nice, France. The conference has a long way to go in ensuring inclusive participation for the custodians and guardians of the ocean: Indigenous and traditional communities. Nonetheless, a group of representatives from organizations of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, as well as artisanal fishing communities and supporting organizations, will attend the conference.
These communities care for aquatic ICCAs–territories of life, ranging from oceans to rivers, lakes, and other wetlands—despite facing numerous challenges. Indigenous and traditional communities are defending their rights and sustaining the bio-cultural diversity of marine and coastal areas, particularly as extractive coastal and maritime industries, exclusionary conservation practices, and community dispossession worsen the ongoing climate and ecological crises.
Community leaders and artisanal fishers from coastal and marine territories are determined to make their voices heard at the UN Ocean Conference. The ICCA Consortium expresses its solidarity with these communities. We reiterate the need to recognize and support Indigenous and traditional knowledge, governance, and management systems to strengthen ocean governance and management based on human rights, equity, and justice.
Events
Oceans of Knowledge: Indigenous Marine Governance and the Road to Biocultural Conservation / On Tuesday, June 10, from 12:45 to 1:30 PM/ @ La Baleine, Salle Medusa / Contact: Lorena Arce, Observatorio Ciudadano (ICCA Consortium Member), larce@observatorio.cl
Uplifting Indigenous Peoples’ Leadership in Marine and Coastal Conservation / On Wednesday, Jun 11, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM/ @ Nice Opera House, 4-6 Rue Saint-François de Paule, 06300 Nice / Contacts: Jimrex Calatan, Tebtebba (jimrex@tebtebba.org), and Robie Halip, IPMG (robie@indigenouspeoples-sdg.org)
Launch Event for a Call to Action to Support and Safeguard Ocean Defenders / On Wednesday, June 11, from 4:45 to 6:45 PM / @ Rise Up Ocean Base Camp, La Baleine (Second Pavilion, Palais des Expos de Nice – Parvis de l’Europe, 06000 Nice / Contact: Rocío Lopez De La Lama, Ocean Defenders Project, rocio.lopezdelalama@gmail.com; and Karina Vargas, ICCA Consortium, karina.v@iccaconsortium.org
How Civil Society is Contributing to UN SDG14 and the 30×30 Ocean in China and Beyond / Wednesday, June 11, from 5:15 to 6:00 PM / @ La Baleine, Salle Medusa / Contact: Shan Shui Conservation Center (ICCA Consortium Member), shixiangying@shanshui.org
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Elevating Ambition for Increased Momentum Towards the 2030 Targets / On Wednesday, June 11, from 10:30 to 11:45 AM / Room 5, Blue Zone / Vivienne Solis Rivera, CoopeSoliDar (ICCA Consortium Member), vsolis@coopesolidar.org
Small-Scale Fishers: at the Center of Ocean Governance and Food Security / On Thursday, June 12 from 5:30 to 6:45 PM / @ Room 4, Blue Zone / Contact: Vivienne Solis Rivera, CoopeSoliDar (ICCA Consortium Member), vsolis@coopesolidar.org
Women and the Ocean: A Call for Gender-Equal and Inclusive Ocean Governance / On June 12, from 2:00 to 3:15 PM / @ Room 4, Blue Zone/ Contact: Karina Vargas, Observatorio Ciudadano (ICCA Consortium Member), kvargas@observatorio.cl
Lessons Learned About Ocean Management from Tropical Experiences / On Friday, June 13, from 10:30 to 11:45 AM / @ Room 5, Blue Zone/ Vivienne Solis Rivera, CoopeSoliDar (ICCA Consortium Member), vsolis@coopesolidar.org
Statement
Ancestral Waters
Indigenous and traditional communities care for our aquatic territories of life, from the ocean to rivers and lakes. Visit this page for the resources and latest updates from the aquatic territories of life. >>
2025 UNOC Delegation
[This is a partial list based on information made available by the ICCA Consortium’s Members]- Alifereti Tawake, LMMA Network International
- Cristian Paredes, Observatorio Ciudadano, Chile
- Daniel Caniullan, Asociación de Comunidades Territorio Williche-Chono, Chile
- Edson Luilly Murillo Gonzales, Red TICCA Colombia
- Fatemah (Mania) Khanegah, CENESTA
- Felicito Núñez Bernardez, Líder representante del Pueblo Garífuna, Honduras
- Gerardo Bazán Orobio, Red TICCA Colombia
- Gabriel Alejandro Lucio Naranjo, Comuna Puerto Cabuyal, Ecuador
- Hector White (Mapuche Lafkenche) Identidad Territorial Lafkenche, Chile
- Ingrid Echevarría (Mapuche), Red de Mujeres Originarias por la Defensa del Mar, Chile
- Javier Mariluan (Mapuche Lafkenche) Identidad Territorial Lafkenche, Chile
- Jesús Chaves Vidaurre, Red de Áreas Marinas de Pesca Responsable y Territorios Marinos de Vida, Costa Rica
- Jorge Lalin Palacios, Pueblo Garífuna, Honduras
- Karina Vargas, Observatorio Ciudadano and ICCA Consortium, Chile
- Lazaro Mecha Barahona, Pueblos Majé Emberá Drúa, Panama
- Lorena Arce, Observatorio Ciudadano and ICCA Consortium, Chile
- María Dolores Vera Garcia, Fundación para la Investigación y Desarollo Social, Ecuador
- Marta Machazek Serrano de Serrut, Panama
- Mohammad Arju, ICCA Consortium Secretariat
- Nevile Yapp, LEAP Spiral, Malaysia
- Olan Fisher, KUA, Hawaii
- Salatou Sambou, APCRM and ICCA Consortium, Senegal
- Pamela Mayorga (Mapuche Female) Red de Mujeres Originarias por la Defensa del Mar, Territorio de Chaitén, Chile
- Pérsida Cheuquenao (Mapuche Lafkenche) Identidad territorial Lafkenche y el territorio de Trewako de la Red Mujeres Originarias por la Defensa del Mar, Chile
- Yohana Coñuecar (Mapuche Lafkenche), Red de Mujeres Originarias por la Defensa del Mar, Territorio de Hualaywé, Chile
- Xaviera Elorza, ICCA Consortium Secretariat
- Camila Miranda Reyes, ICCA Consortium Secretariat
- Mathilde Craker, ICCA Consortium Linguistic Team
- Solène Marie Monique Chatelain, ICCA Consortium Linguistic Team
Contact
For more information about ICCA Consortium’s participation, please reach out to Mohammad Arju at arju.m@iccaconsortium.org
