By Alexis Lamek

From the 9^th to the 13^th of June 2025, France will co-host, with Costa Rica, the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). For this crucial event, around 100 Heads of State and Government will converge in Nice, as well as tens of thousands of researchers, scientists, economic actors, activists and citizens from around the world. On this occasion, France’s aim will be clear: protecting the Ocean through tangible action.

The Ocean is our common good. It feeds and protects our peoples. It makes us dream and travel. It provides us with sustainable energy, trade, resources and infinite scientific knowledge.

One in three people relies on the Ocean for their livelihood, yet the Ocean is in danger. It’s an area that is still largely unknown, and lacks the global governance and funding necessary for its preservation. The figures are worrying: more than eight million tons of plastic end up in the Ocean every year, according to a study published in the journal Science. Moreover, more than a third of fish stocks suffer overfishing, while ocean acidification, rising sea levels and the destruction of marine ecosystems gain pace, as direct consequences of climate change.

We must act now. More than ever before, we must make sure that multilateral action is equal to the challenges of protecting the Ocean.

Ten years after COP21 and the Paris Agreement, which established a binding global framework to limit climate change, the third United Nations Ocean Conference is a historic opportunity. The “Nice Ocean Agreements” can form an international pact for the conservation and sustainable use of the Ocean, fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015.

To this end, the talks in Nice need to be operational and action-focused, aiming for better governance, further financing and greater knowledge of the seas.

When it comes to governance, the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is essential. The high seas, which represent more than 60% of the Ocean, are currently the only area not governed by international law. The lack of surveillance and common rules is causing a real social and environmental disaster, with massive hydrocarbon and plastic pollution, illegal and unregulated fishing techniques, and the capture of protected mammals. To end this legal vacuum, we need the BBNJ Agreement to be ratified by 60 countries, so as to come into force.

The protection of the Ocean also requires public and private financing, and support for a sustainable blue economy. To continue enjoying the incredible economic opportunities offered by the Ocean, we need to make sure marine resources can regenerate. In Nice, several commitments will be announced for global trade, shipping, tourism and investment.

Lastly, how can we protect something that we don’t – or insufficiently – know? We need to enhance our knowledge of the Ocean and disseminate it more effectively. Today, we are capable of mapping the surface of the Moon or of Mars, but the depths of the Ocean – which covers 70% of Earth’s surface – remain unknown. Together, let’s mobilize science, innovation and education to better understand the Ocean and raise public awareness.

In the context of ever faster climate change and overexploitation of marine resources, the Ocean is not an issue like any other. It’s everyone’s business. In a context in which multilateralism is being challenged, we must not forget our shared responsibility. The Ocean is a universal bond, crucial for our future. Together, we can make the third United Nations Ocean Conference a major turning point for our peoples, for future generations and for our planet.

Alexis Lamek is French Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union

We all want secure, safe and easy travel.  However, with traveller numbers surging to record levels and governments wanting to unlock tourism’s full economic potential, resource-strapped immigration, intelligence and border agencies face a critical challenge:  How to handle rising demand without compromising security?

It’s a question they will grapple with when meeting this week in Addis Ababa to discuss digitalised biometric-powered traveller processes and how they can be used to promote social-economic development while countering organised international crime, terrorism and the spread of contagious diseases. 

Travel and tourism have a central place in this conversation as they are critical to national growth and prosperity.

This is a global challenge but with the right approach, even small steps can unlock big improvements, and African nations are well-placed to lead.

Growth in demand for travel

African air travel is growing fast.  Last year, passenger numbers jumped nearly 15%, and capacity expanded by 11%, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).  Long starved of investment, African governments are improving airport infrastructure to boost visitor numbers.   Ethiopia’s US$7.8 billion, four-runway, Bishoftu mega-airport may be the continent’s biggest but it is one of several developments.  Morocco is investing US$4.1 billion in airport expansions ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup and Luanda’s new Dr Agostinho Neto International recently opened for business.

The border challenge in focus

Increased passenger numbers and shiny new terminals won’t deliver the full benefits unless borders keep pace.    

Simultaneously, to improve global security, the UN Security Council has resolved to strengthen member states’ ability to track potential terrorist movements.  Despite successes in South Africa and Angola many African countries are still thinking about how to develop or enhance such capabilities.  

From static systems to dynamic responses

Border security must remain the priority alongside infrastructure expansion. However, it must reflect the technology advancements that are changing traveller expectations and presenting new security threats.  

Borders must not become bottlenecks.  Interoperability, speed, coordination and adaptability are fundamental.  Dynamic, digitalised tech-driven borders let governments adjust policies and procedures in real-time, strengthening security and enhancing their countries’ attractiveness as destinations for travel, trade, tourism and investment.  It requires a mindset shift to think of borders as a vital part of an integrated, connected system instead of just a checkpoint.

Why integration matters

Effective borders involve immigration, customs, public health, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.  A siloed approach fuels fragmentation, inefficiencies and creates serious security gaps, whereas an integrated model brings together data and decision-making across agencies. Integration delivers a single-window view of each traveller or item entering a country.  It makes assessments simpler, responses faster and leaves resources focused where they’re needed most.

The good news is that African countries aren’t hamstrung by outdated legacy systems so they can leapfrog advanced Western economies by adopting an integrated borders concept.

A better experience at the border

IATA reports that over 70 per cent of travellersface long queues and repeated document checks. This causes frustration and drains resources even when most travellers are not a risk.

By pre-clearing travellers before they arrive, using secure digital identities and tapping into real-time data, border agencies will relieve congestion and process people more efficiently.  Because airport and border experiences make indelible first and last impressions, improved traveller and shipper experiences will promote a positive image of an airport and a country.

Start small. Think big.

Some of the most effective changes start small with a consistent, collaborative and modular approach.

The advancement of digital travel credentials (DTCs) is a case in point.  Worldwide there is soaring demand for faster, contactless travel processes – with over 60% of passengers saying they would pay for a DTC.   Aruba’s pre-clearance DTC pilot has proven it is possible to move passengers through the border in just eight seconds, while also improving passenger data accuracy and compliance.   

How countries can quickly make progress

These focused steps can soothe immediate pain points and lay the groundwork for more ambitious transformation.

It needs near-term and long-term views, i.e.

• what can be improved now with minimal disruption?
• how will these improvements contribute to a larger vision of a fully digital, integrated, dynamic, and even more secure border?

Small actions, thoughtfully executed, can build momentum for big change.

A unique opportunity for Africa

Borders will always be about anticipating and managing risk. But by rethinking how people, goods and information move across borders, African governments can build more secure, efficient and agile systems that are aligned with how the world works today and, crucially, that balance security with the economic benefits of increasing travel and tourism.

Pedro Alves is a Vice President Global Business Development at SITA (Société Internationale de Télécommunication Aéronautique), the global air transport industry-owned IT-tech organisation that works with over 75 governments— including every G20 nation — to modernise airport and border operations.