Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, has arrived in Nice to attend the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), where she will represent President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the high-level opening session. Taking place from June 9 to 13, the conference gathers government leaders, international financial institutions, scientists, NGOs, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to address the world's most pressing ocean-related challenges. Fouad stated that this year's conference will center on three core objectives: protecting marine biodiversity, preserving global fish stocks, and advancing the "30×30" target under the Global Biodiversity Framework—which aims to conserve 30% of the world's oceans and coastal areas by 2030. The event will also assess global progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14, which promotes the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Plastic pollution is expected to dominate discussions, especially in the context of negotiations toward a binding global treaty. Fouad highlighted the importance of aligning national positions ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), scheduled for August 2025 in Geneva. As part of her agenda, Fouad will chair the high-level opening session of an event marking two major regional milestones: the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan and the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Convention. The gathering will bring together environment and biodiversity ministers, as well as UN officials, to announce national pledges and coordinated strategies to confront the region's triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution. She is also slated to participate in multiple side events, including a ministerial consultation on the proposed global plastic pollution treaty. Key discussion areas include sustainable production and consumption, chemical safety, product design, and financing mechanisms. Another key session on her schedule is titled "Scaling Up Solutions for a Plastic-Free Mediterranean," which will explore innovative approaches to tracking plastic waste and building stronger regional and international partnerships.
