French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel expressed hopes that the Philippines will be among the first to sign the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), or the High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect marine biodiversity beyond a country’s national jurisdiction.

“The BBNJ Treaty is an opportunity to take the urgently needed measures in areas already under threat from climate change, pollution, illegal activities, and emerging activities like deep sea violence,” the envoy said on Thursday, June 5, during the fourth installment of the Blue Talk series entitled “France & Philippines: Strengthening Cooperation for the Protection of Marine Biodiversity” held in Makati City.

“We had hope, and still hope, that the Philippines will be part of the first 60 ratifications needed for the treaty to come into force, but we know of course that the Senate has also many things to do these days,” she added.

Fontanel delivered a speech on the occasion of the World Environment Day and three days before the official start of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which France will co-host with Costa Rica from June 9 to 13 in Nice.

While the goal of the UNOC3 is to adopt the Nice Ocean Action Plan, which will provide a universal framework to ensure that political decisions are guided by scientific knowledge, the ambassador stressed the need for the High Seas Treaty to enter into force by the ratification of at least 20 countries.

Marshall Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, all of which fall under Fontanel’s jurisdiction as French envoy to the Philippines, were among the first to ratify the treaty.

She emphasized the critical juncture at which the Nice Conference will be held as the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that led to the Paris Agreement entered its 10th year.

The Paris Agreement set a global goal to limit temperature increases to well below two degrees Celsius, with efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

“The ambition is really clear. Let me remind us all, to bring together United Nations member-states, the international scientific community, specialized agencies, civil society, but also the private sector, and global donors to define concrete actions that match the scale of the challenges we face,” she said.

A year ago, the French Embassy in Manila launched the “Blue Nations: France and the Philippines Partners for the Oceans,” a comprehensive program to help the Philippines prepare for the Nice Convention.

Fontanel explained that while the ocean has untapped and unexplored biodiversity, with it being home to an estimated 500,000 to 10 million marine species, it is important to understand its role in food production, climate regulation, and coastal protection.”

“That is why biodiversity preservation lies at the heart of the Blue Talk,” she stressed, adding that addressing biodiversity challenges is particularly critical for the Philippines.

“The Philippines is a global hotspot for marine biodiversity, we saw that, an ecological treasure, but also among the most vulnerable countries, facing increasing threats such as overfishing, pollution, plastic pollution being one, habitat degradation, and sea level rise,” she said.

As Pacific Blue Nations, both France and the Philippines have a responsibility and capacity to promote biodiversity protection through policies and expertise, Fontanel shared.

“The future of our societies is closely tied to the health of our oceans. The Indo-Pacific region, the crossroads of our histories and of our futures, is one of the world's richest centers of marine biodiversity,” the envoy said.

“This is not only about preserving nature, it's also about supporting coastal communities, ensuring food security, safeguarding regional peace and stability in accordance with international law and with a commitment to sustainability,” she added.