With 256 island and coastal biosphere reserves across 82 countries, and , UNESCO is helping to safeguard some of the world鈥檚 most remarkable ocean ecosystems. Together, these marine World Heritage sites represent at least 鈥攍ike kelp forests, mangroves, and salt marshes鈥攚hich play a vital role in capturing and storing carbon.
But these areas are increasingly threatened by pollution linked to unsustainable human activity.
In response to this growing threat, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced a new partnership with the NGO Plastic Odyssey.
Through this new partnership, Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO will work together to reduce plastic pollution at marine World Heritage sites. During the expeditions, we will also support the development of local recycling initiatives, benefiting Indigenous and local communities.
Since 2022, Plastic Odyssey鈥檚 research vessel has been sailing around the world to support local recycling solutions in some of the most heavily impacted coastal areas. In 2024, the NGO carried out an unprecedented cleanup operation on 鈥攁 UNESCO marine World Heritage site since 1988鈥攃ollecting and sorting 9.3 tonnes of waste.
This partnership will help expand these efforts to other UNESCO sites, including some of the planet鈥檚 most remote and fragile ecosystems. Each mission will focus on removing waste, collecting scientific data, developing educational programs, and creating sustainable, income-generating waste management systems.
Towards a global assessment of ocean pollution
At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, UNESCO, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and with support from the Nippon Foundation, unveiled a new initiative aimed at providing a coordinated, science-based response to marine pollution.
This initiative will lead to the publication of the world's first comprehensive assessment of ocean pollution in 2027, making crucial data and detailed maps of marine pollution widely accessible.
By connecting science, policy, and local action, this programme aims to fill data gaps, improve pollution monitoring, and support sustainable ocean governance worldwide.
Rallying to protect the cryosphere
Protecting the ocean also means safeguarding glaciers, which play a crucial role in regulating the ocean system. Since 2000, the world鈥檚 glaciers have lost 5% of their volume. In 2022, an UNESCO study warned that by 2050, one-third of the glaciers at World Heritage sites could disappear. At the current rate, the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools of ice melts every second, causing sea levels to rise 2.5 times faster than at the start of the 20th century.
For this reason, on June 8 in Nice, UNESCO officially launched the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences鈥攁n initiative led by France and Tajikistan.
Coordinated by UNESCO, this Decade will strengthen research on the planet鈥檚 frozen regions by providing a scientific platform for creating a global Cryosphere Atlas and facilitating a comprehensive monitoring system. It will also boost international cooperation, particularly in training and funding, and promote concrete solutions to ice melt by integrating cryospheric science into climate policies and supporting adaptation strategies developed with local and Indigenous communities.
