Monitorday.com – Indonesia took center stage at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025), held in Nice, France from June 8–13, 2025. Led by Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono and Chair of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Titiek Soeharto. While the Member of the House are Prof Rokhmin Dahuri and Alien Mus.
At this conference, the Indonesian delegation boldly stepped forward to lead the global conversation on ocean conservation.
The high-profile conference brought together thousands of delegates from nearly all UN member states under the theme “Accelerating Actions and Mobilizing All Actors to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean.”
Critical topics at the forefront included tackling Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, expanding marine protected areas, and reducing plastic pollution. As the world’s second-largest maritime nation, Indonesia emphasized its vital role and came prepared with strong messages and concrete solutions.
First of all, Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri, former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in the era of President Gus Dur and Megawati, delivered an impassioned speech, urging for real, tangible global cooperation to save threatened ocean ecosystems.
“We must go beyond rhetoric,” he said, calling for the restoration of degraded coastlines, an end to overfishing and marine pollution, and strict enforcement against the illegal trade of protected marine species.
In addition, Prof Rokhmin stressed that effective ocean governance requires unwavering commitment: robust legal frameworks, equitable global management, and substantial support from developed nations in the form of technology transfer, funding, and capacity-building for developing countries.
“One major focal point was the global target of designating 30% of the world’s oceans as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2030.,” he said.
Furthermore, Prof Rokhmin called on Indonesia not just to participate, but to lead this effort by strengthening surveillance, enforcing marine laws, and ensuring transparent and inclusive management of these protected zones.
According to him, a sustainable and inclusive blue economy model, covering eco-friendly capture fisheries, green aquaculture, marine biotechnology-based industries, and low-emission maritime transport. This model, he emphasized, not only supports environmental goals but also addresses coastal poverty and unemployment.
UNOC 2025 served as more than a forum, it became a pivotal moment for shaping the planet’s marine future. Rokhmin argued that developing nations like Indonesia must gain fair access to cutting-edge technology, green financing, and training for coastal communities to empower them as stewards of the oceans.
Indonesia’s strongest message came in its call for a just and authoritative global ocean governance system. Rokhmin warned that without a strong international legal framework—especially on issues such as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), transboundary fishing, and cross-border marine pollution—global conservation efforts risk becoming hollow promises.
In the presence of global leaders including the UN Secretary General, President Emmanuel Macron, and heads of state from Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and several countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, Indonesia’s proactive stance resonated loudly.
Indonesia proved in Nice that it is more than a participant, it is a front-runner in ocean conservation. As much of the world continues to talk, Indonesia is already acting. The time for speeches is over—real ocean action has begun, and Indonesia is setting the pace.