“Oceans, like forests, are essential” - JGI at the UN Oceans Conference (UNOC)
With thanks to Galitt Kenan (JGI France) and Shweta Naik (JGI India) for their contributions to this article.
The ocean is the cradle of life on Earth and the main regulator of the planet’s climate. But the ocean is now bloodless, polluted, overheated and devastated by industrial fishing. The ocean currents that dictate climate regulation are at risk of collapse. Marine heatwaves are exploding, whales are starving.
Oceans, like forests, are essential for animal and plant species, including humans. As well as being our biggest carbon sinks, they are home to an immense biodiversity on which our survival depends. As Dr. Jane Goodall reminds us, “everything is linked in living things, in the tapestry of life”.
That’s why the Jane Goodall Institute is working to restore the health of the ocean.
And that’s why we were present at the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, 2025.
The Jane Goodall Institute India was present at the UNOC, represented by Shweta Naik, its Executive Director and an expert with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO).
JGI India has created “Oceans Are Us”, a Roots & Shoots oceans education program that fosters the opening of young learners’ hearts and minds with compassion and awareness so as to stimulate their lifelong connection with the magnificence of the ocean. “Oceans Are Us” is designed to collaborate with local educational institutions and their communities, as well as national, regional and global programs that wish to help young people create an emotional connection with the ocean by instilling hope in young participants.
Shweta Naik is member of a group of ocean literacy experts with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), which promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve the management of oceans, coasts and marine resources. The Commission is responsible for coordinating the Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It is also the coordinator for India of the Blue Schools Network.
What Is Ocean Literacy and Why Does It Matter?
Ocean Literacy is more than knowledge—it is the understanding of how the ocean shapes life on Earth, and how our choices, in turn, shape the ocean. The principles of Ocean Literacy are about the interconnectedness of Earth’s vast ocean, connecting all people, places and systems; while supporting life on our planet by regulating climate, shaping weather, and sustaining the conditions that make life possible, including the remarkable diversity of ocean life. Most importantly, we must understand the ocean to protect it—and in doing so, protect ourselves. To be ocean literate is to awaken to our deep interconnectedness. It is to listen to the silent wisdom of the tides, to act with care, and to carry forward a sense of hope and responsibility—not only for the ocean, but for all life on Earth
The Jane Goodall Institute France was also present at the UNOC, represented by a small team.
On this occasion, the Jane Goodall Institute France was able to:
- Speak on behalf of the Ocean Coalition, led by the Bloom association and representing a network of 177 NGOs, in an official statement at the inaugural session on June 9;
- Participate in the Marche Bleue, an NGO event in Nice, as the voice of civil society and scientists must be heard, now more than ever;
- Speak at schools and universities with our Roots & Shoots groups, to raise awareness of ocean-related issues among young people & observe the prize-giving ceremony for the writing and drawing competition organized by Nous les Ambitieuse, of which we are partners;
- Organize a side-event addressing Sustainable Peace with the Ocean, featuring our R&S speech competition finalists’ pleas, because words are powerful and bring Hope;
- Promoted our messages: Dr. Jane Goodall in the Observer as Planetary Guardian; and the petition signed by Galitt Kenan on behalf of JGI France on the representativeness of women in our milieu (supported by Women for Sea, SHE Changes Climate France and Les Impactrices).
