In Nice, Director-General spearheads FAO’s engagement at the UN Ocean Conference

Nice, France - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu is spearheading the Organization’s engagement at the United Nations Ocean Conference, where FAO is mandated to play a key role with its technical work on fisheries and aquaculture and in relation to crucial international agreements.

The Conference marks an important platform for FAO’s work in fisheries and aquaculture under the priorities of its Strategic Framework 2022-31. These include supporting the sustainable intensification of aquaculture production, investing in transformative fisheries management and upgrading fish value chains, making fish an indispensable component of food security and nutrition strategies.

On Sunday, the Director-General attended events marking World Oceans Day in the immersive space called “La Baleine” at Nice’s Palais des Expositions, where various organizations will showcase their initiatives related to ocean conservation and sustainable use. He visited the FAO pavilion on Blue Transformation with the thematic of ‘’transforming aquatic food systems for Better Production , Better Nutrition , Better Environment and Better Life’’. Later, the Director-General attended a High-Level inaugural dinner given by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

80th Anniversary

On Monday, the first official day of the Conference, he spoke at an event marking FAO’s 80th Anniversary, which falls on October 16 this year. The theme was “From legacy to leadership: youth-led solutions for Ocean sustainability”.

To celebrate its 80th anniversary and mark the 30th Anniversary of the  Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, FAO is launching a special recognition to highlight practices and innovations contributing to the responsible and sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture, strengthening their contribution to poverty alleviation, food and nutrition security, and healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Later in the morning, he met with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and four young representatives of the fisheries and aquaculture sector aboard the Norwegian research vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl. The informal exchange highlighted the importance of intergenerational dialogue and youth engagement in ocean sustainability.

In the early afternoon, he participated in the high-level side event “The Ocean We Depend On: Achieving SDG 14 Through Sustainable Governance”, hosted aboard the vessel, Statsraad Lehmkuhl. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the FAO–Norway EAF-Nansen Programme and brought together government officials, youth leaders, scientists and development partners to explore how ocean science, inclusive policies and international cooperation can help achieve SDG 14. Discussions focused on the role of science-based fisheries management in food and nutrition security, equitable livelihoods, and healthy marine ecosystems—especially in the context of small-scale fisheries and developing coastal nations. Symbolic seafood tastings also featured as part of the event, promoting sustainable consumption and the cultural value of aquatic foods.

FAO partners with Norway and dozens of countries across Africa and the Bay of Bengal and regional organisations in the EAF-Nansen Programme. It works to improve fisheries management in line with the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), strengthening the capacities of fisheries institutions and generating scientific knowledge on marine resources and ecosystems.

The Director-General concluded the day with a visit to the French oceanographic research vessel Thalassa, where he met with internationally renowned chefs committed to promoting sustainable seafood and responsible consumption.

Sustainable future

One of the Director-General’s key engagements in Nice will be to address a high-level event on June 11, organized by FAO: Achieving SDG 14.4 for a sustainable future: Updated sustainability status of the World’s marine fishery resources. A key FAO report, the Review of the state of world marine fishery resources - 2025 will be launched at the event.

Among the other events he will address is one on “Sustainable Shipping: our ocean - our obligation - our opportunity” as well as a panel on fostering sustainable fisheries management including supporting small-scale fishers. 

FAO’s mandate gives it a key role in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and value chains in the sector. Its vision of a Blue Transformation focuses on how to expand aquatic food systems and increase their contribution to the Four Betters -  better production; better nutrition; a better environment; and a better life, leaving no one behind - especially for those communities that depend on fisheries and aquaculture.

The Organization also plays a crucial role in facilitating fisheries-related international agreements, such as the  Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) the first binding international agreement specifically targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.