French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off the United Nations Ocean Conference with great fanfare on Monday, June 9. "Today, we are celebrating a victory," he said in his opening remarks. Firstly, despite the fragmented international context, he managed to rally support: Around 60 heads of state and government made the trip to Nice, far more than at the second edition of this UN summit in 2022. The event marks a major milestone for the Elysée. It is the largest such gathering in France since the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21).

Addressing the roughly 100 international delegations in attendance, the president, who is trying to position himself as one of the "champions" of ocean protection, insisted: "Our effort is essential." While, unlike a COP, the United Nations Ocean Conference is not a forum for negotiating a formal agreement, the Elysée hoped that many commitments would be made by participating states throughout the week. It also expected that the discussions in Nice would help move forward some ongoing international negotiations, such as those concerning plastic pollution.

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