Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad has arrived in Nice, France, on Monday to participate in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
She is attending the conference on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
The conference, scheduled to run from June 9 to June 13, 2025, convenes representatives from governments, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, researchers, civil society groups, and the private sector from around the globe.
Accompanying Fouad are Ambassador Heidi Serry, Consul General of Egypt in Marseille, and Tamer Abu Gharara, Advisor to the Minister for International Cooperation.
Fouad emphasized that UNOC3 will primarily focus on three critical objectives: conserving marine biodiversity, preserving fisheries, and promoting the achievement of the “30×30” global target of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The conference agenda will also delve into the challenges and opportunities associated with Goal 14 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. A significant topic at this year’s conference will be plastic pollution, particularly in light of the ongoing negotiation process to establish a global treaty on plastic pollution (INC).
Fouad also highlighted the conference’s importance as a crucial milestone in mobilizing countries’ visions and needs in preparation for the fifth round of negotiations (INC5), which is scheduled to be held in Geneva in August 2025.
During her participation in the conference, the Minister of Environment will moderate the opening session of a high-level event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan and the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Convention. This event will bring together environment and biodiversity ministers and representatives of relevant UN organizations to announce ambitious national measures to protect the Mediterranean.
Its aim is to unify efforts to address the triple challenge facing the Mediterranean region: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, with a particular focus on plastic pollution. The Egyptian Minister of Environment will also participate in several other events dedicated to unifying efforts to combat plastic pollution.
These include a Ministerial Consultative Meeting on the Convention on Plastic Pollution, which will examine ways forward for the fifth round of negotiations (INC5), focusing on Articles 3, 6, and 11 related to products and chemicals, sustainable production and consumption, and finance. Furthermore, she will attend the special event, “Scaling Up Solutions for a Plastic-Free Mediterranean,” which will focus on tracking and combating plastic pollution and strengthening regional and international alliances towards a cleaner and healthier Mediterranean.
