AHEAD of a major climate conference in France, stakeholders in Guyana, on Thursday, began discussions for the continued implementation of policies to safeguard the ocean and marine life.
Organised by the United Nations, the “Blue Talks” discussion saw key stakeholders from the country’s private sector, agriculture sector, and maritime department gathering to share ongoing initiatives.
During brief remarks, the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat reminded stakeholders of the policies that have been crafted by the government to ensure the conservation of the marine and forested environs of the country.
“The fact is if we don’t maintain our forest and our ocean it could be detrimental to us as human beings…we have a responsibility to ensure that we preserve our forest and our marine space and environment is protected,” the minister said.
Delving further into the discussion, Minister Bharrat highlighted the significant challenges faced by small, developing nations in securing financing for sustainable development and climate change mitigation.
He emphasised the importance of innovative solutions to address these challenges, while highlighting the need to prioritise the protection of marine environments and adapting to climate change.
Bharrat affirmed the government’s commitment to balancing economic development with environmental sustainability.
The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (the 2025 UN Ocean Conference) will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025.

According to the UN, the overarching theme of the Conference is “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”
The conference aims to support further and urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development and identify further ways and means to support the implementation of SDG 14.
It will build on existing instruments to form successful partnerships towards the swift conclusion and effective implementation of ongoing processes that contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
The conference will involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions, other interested international bodies, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organisations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and other actors to assess challenges and opportunities relating to, as well as actions taken towards, the implementation of Goal 14.
The conference will build on the previous UN Ocean Conferences, hosted by Sweden and Fiji in 2017 in New York and by Portugal and Kenya in 2022 in Lisbon.