President Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered a speech at the opening of the Third UN Ocean Conference

Within the framework of his working visit to Nice, France, President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered a speech at the opening session of the Third UN Ocean Conference.

The President’s speech:

“It is a great honor for me to participate in the 2025 UN Ocean Conference held in this beautiful city.

Let me congratulate the host, the Government of France, and the co-chair, Costa Rica, on organizing this important conference and for all their efforts toward its success.

In this decade of action toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, despite the climate and biodiversity commitments undertaken by states and other stakeholders, the holding of this conference is both urgent and timely. In the global processes aimed at protecting the environment, it can be stated with confidence that ocean ecosystems are unique in nature and are also closely interconnected with other ecosystems.

The role of oceans is vital for coastal and island countries. They are a crucial source of biodiversity and serve as massive carbon sinks, helping to mitigate the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.

Nevertheless, like other environmental ecosystems, oceans, regardless of their remoteness or immense depth, are bearing the negative consequences of unsustainable human behavior.

Climate change, pollution, and ecosystem degradation directly affect our oceans, leading to plastic pollution, acidification, and irreversible damage to marine biodiversity and food systems.

At the same time, the melting of ice sheets leads to rising sea levels, creating existential challenges for small, developing island states. Armenia supports all international efforts aimed at preserving and protecting ocean ecosystems as an integral part of our global environmental heritage. We eagerly await the adoption of a Convention on Plastic Pollution, which could become a cornerstone of global efforts to protect the ocean.

We similarly maintain a positive stance toward the recently adopted agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and have already initiated internal processes for its ratification. Although Armenia is a landlocked developing country, issues related to oceans are highly relevant for us. We support cooperation on ocean affairs because we believe in multilateral collaboration, the interconnectedness of natural ecosystems, and our shared responsibility in preserving the planet’s biodiversity.

The link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems is clear. The health of our oceans depends on how we treat our rivers, lakes, and mountainous environments.

As is often said, what happens in the mountains does not stay in the mountains. The melting of glaciers, soil degradation, and pollution in highland areas inevitably find their way to lowlands, directly impacting our ocean ecosystems. Therefore, the ocean crisis is not only a coastal issue, it is a continental one as well.

Solutions must begin in the mountains and spread across the continents before reaching coastal areas and islands. In this context, the need for inclusive and accessible financing is evident, particularly for landlocked and vulnerable countries, so that all nations can contribute meaningfully to the environmental agenda.

Furthermore, as the presiding country of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Armenia is committed to advancing this global agenda. In this regard, we firmly believe that the BBNJ agreement can become a vital element in our collective efforts to preserve global biodiversity.

Armenia also looks forward to the consensual adoption of the political declaration of the UN Ocean Conference, which would represent another important step toward strengthening international cooperation and shared commitments for the protection of ocean ecosystems.

In conclusion, I call on all countries, developed and developing, coastal, island, or landlocked, to reaffirm their commitment to the protection and preservation of our planet, so that future generations may also benefit from the blessings of our Mother Earth.”