GOAL OF THE MONTH – Goal 14: Life below water

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Where We Are

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is intrinsic to life on Earth, providing key natural resources including food and medicine. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen and is home to a million known species. The ocean is also key to the trade and the economy, with an estimated 40 million people employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

But the ocean is in crisis. It is under threat from climate change, pollution and overfishing.

Sustainable Development Goal 14 (life below water) remains one of the most underfunded of the 17 Goals. While global action is underway, increased commitment and collaboration across sectors are urgently needed to address the mounting concerns impacting the ocean.

SDG 14 in Numbers

  • 7% of fish stocks are now over-exploited, up from 10% in 1974, leaving only 62.3% within biologically sustainable levels.
  • 18,200 Marine Protected Areas cover 8.12 % of the ocean — progress, but still short of the 10% SDG target and 30% Kunming-Montreal ambition.
  • Over 90% of the ocean experienced heat-wave conditions in 2023, triggering the fourth recorded global coral-bleaching event.
  • About 17 million tons of plastic enter the sea each year; without drastic action this could double or triple by 2040.

UN News Feature

UN aims to transform urgency into action at Nice Ocean Conference

“We must invest massively in science, conservation, and the sustainable blue economy – and extend far greater support to coastal communities, Indigenous Peoples and Small Island Developing States already bearing the brunt of climate change.
And we must protect marine biodiversity, reject practices that inflict irreversible damage, and deliver on the promise of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.”

– António Guterres, UN Secretary-General (8 June 2025, World Oceans Day)

 

In Focus

8 June | World Oceans Day

Hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, in partnership with Oceanic Global, this year’s World Oceans Day will focus on “ Wonder – Sustaining What Sustains US”, to celebrate the wonders of the ocean as a source of life that supports humanity and all other organisms on Earth. This year’s observance will be celebrated in Nice, France, ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference. A regatta and flag-raising ceremony will highlight the international day and mark a moment of global unity and momentum for the ocean.

Key resources:

  • World Oceans Day website: https://unworldoceansday.org/
  • Campaign Toolkit: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pjEnB69a68bQHbw_ikZQTcPS13vMBynF/edit#slide=id.p1
  • World Oceans Day events: https://unworldoceansday.org/un-world-oceans-day-2025/

The World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2025 updates UN DESA’s economic forecasts from January 2025 and highlights the urgent need for stronger international cooperation to ease trade tensions and promote a stable, inclusive global economy. The report will be launched on Thursday 15 May at 12:30pm ET. Further details of the live press briefing will be available on webtv.un.org


9-13 June | 2025 UN Ocean Conference

The third United Nations Ocean Conference will be held in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica. Under the overarching theme, “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”, the Conference aims to drive urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and further identify ways and means to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.

The Conference will bring together Member States, specialized agencies, civil society and the private sector to mobilize action. It is expected to adopt an intergovernmentally negotiated political declaration which will be, along with a registry of voluntary commitments from across sectors, referred to as the Nice Ocean Action Plan.

Key resources:

Key Events

10-12 June | Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP)

The 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP18), taking place from 10 to 12 June 2025 at UN Headquarters in New York, will bring together governments, UN leaders, civil society, youth, Indigenous communities, and the private sector under the theme “Enhancing public awareness of the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities for social development leading up to the Second World Summit for Social Development.” The programme includes high-level opening statements, a general debate, three thematic roundtables on innovative financing, artificial intelligence for inclusivity, and the rights of Indigenous persons with disabilities, as well as an interactive dialogue with key UN and stakeholder representatives, a vibrant Civil Society Forum, and side events highlighting best practices and innovations. For more information about COSP18, please visit: https://social.desa.un.org/cosp/18th-session.

30 June to 3 July | 4th International Conference on Financing for Development

The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), set to take place in Sevilla, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025, will bring together leaders and delegates from around the world to advance collective solutions to the pressing financing challenges threatening the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a future where no one is left behind.

With only 17 per cent of the SDG targets on track, the Conference aims to drive action to unlock greater volumes of capital at a lower cost and reform the international financial architecture, ensuring it better serves the needs of developing countries. Building on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the commitments made in the Pact for the Future, adopted in 2015 and 2024 respectively, discussions will focus on two overarching goals aimed at charting a path towards a more sustainable future: delivering a large-scale impact-focused investment push, and reforming the international financial architecture.

Key resources:

International Days and Years

5 June | World Environment Day

World Environment Day 2025 will focus on ending plastic pollution globally and call on communities around the world to implement and advocate for solutions. Observed two months before countries meet again to continue negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution, this year’s theme will spotlight the growing scientific evidence on the impacts of plastic pollution and drive momentum to refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink plastics use. Global celebrations will also be hosted by the Republic of Korea. Additional information and campaign materials can be found here.

17 June | World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

This year’s Desertification and Drought Day will focus on restoration of degraded land and jumpstarting a trillion-dollar land restoration economy by 2030. Under the theme “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities,” the 2025 observance highlights how restoring nature’s foundation—land—can create jobs, boost food and water security, support climate action and build economic resilience. More details can be found here.

18 June | Sustainable Gastronomy Day

Sustainable Gastronomy Day shines a light on the environmental impact of our food systems and celebrates cuisines that take into account the origin of their ingredients, the way food is produced, and how it gets from the fields to our plates. Additional resources and information can be found here.

ACTNOW for our Common Future

ActNow is the United Nations campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals. In the lead up to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, join the #SaveOurOcean ActNow challenge to drive initiatives to conserve the ocean. Whether it’s organizing or joining a beach cleanup, reducing your plastic footprint or advocating for policies that conserve the ocean, everyone can play a part and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the ocean. Launching 13 May, join the challenge to #SaveOurOcean! Visit ActNow: https://www.un.org/actnow

National Climate Action Plans

As the climate crisis intensifies, the stakes could not be higher. This year, every country is required to submit an updated national climate action plan – called Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. To preserve a livable plant, these plans must align with limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The UN has come together to drive communication and advocacy efforts on the NDCs. Learn more about the NDCs here: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/all-about-ndcs

Awake at Night Podcast

Healthy oceans, seas and rivers are essential to supporting life on Earth – providing food, medicine, and acting as the world’s largest carbon sink. In this episode, Lewis Pugh, ocean advocate for the United Nations Environment Programme, reflects on his love for the water, on his breathtaking swims, and on breaking the diplomatic ice to create the world’s largest marine park. Listen to the full podcast here: https://bit.ly/3R2LBCS

Discover all the episodes and previous seasons here -> https://pod.link/1429922419

SDG EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2025