Africa

Plastic has worked its way into every corner of the food system. Credit: Giorgio Cosulich / FAO

By Kaveh Zahedi
ROME, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

Each year, more than 12.5 million tonnes of plastic are used in agriculture alone, and another 37 million tonnes become food packaging. Very little gets recycled.

You don’t have to look far to see how plastic has worked its way into every corner of the food system. Seedling trays, mulch films, irrigation tubing, shipping crates, cling wrap. And that’s before it even hits the shelves. It’s efficient, cheap, and convenient, helping to protect crops and reduce food losses—but it lingers.

Plastic waste doesn’t disappear. It breaks down, over years, into particles too small to see.FAO’s research confirms that even tiny amounts of plastics can affect water retention, microbial activity, and plant growth. It also finds evidence that microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals can be absorbed by crops, potentially reaching edible parts

Plastic waste doesn’t disappear. It breaks down, over years, into particles too small to see.
FAO’s research confirms that even tiny amounts of plastics can affect water retention, microbial activity, and plant growth. It also finds evidence that microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals can be absorbed by crops, potentially reaching edible parts. These findings – due to be published later in 2025 – reinforce the need for immediate action to reduce plastic inputs in agriculture and protect the health of soils, crops, and consumers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is helping governments, farmers, and industries cut down on plastic waste—through smarter use, better alternatives, and practical changes on the ground that bring better production, better nutrition, better environment and better lives and don’t compromise the bottom line for farmers.

As part of the response, FAO’s Provisional Voluntary Code of Conduct built through consultations with governments, scientists, producers, and private companies can guide the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture. It offers clear, actionable advice: reduce where possible, reuse when practical, recycle when safe. It points towards a gradual transition away from short-lived plastics, without putting food security or farmer’s incomes at risk.

One promising frontier is the shift toward bio-based and biodegradable materials—drawn from agricultural residues, organic matter, and natural polymers. FAO supports innovation through bioeconomy to help farmers replace conventional plastics with options that break down safely and support soil health.

Consider the banana sector. Plastic bags, twine, and wraps have long been standard in large plantations. FAO’s World Banana Forum has been working with producers and researchers to change that. By sharing practical guidance and exploring alternatives, farmers are beginning to cut down on plastic use and reduce the waste leaking into surrounding environments.

Then there’s the issue of pesticide containers. Too often, these are burned or tossed into fields, releasing toxic residue into the soil and air. FAO is piloting safer disposal methods—like the triple-rinse technique—and helping countries establish collection and recycling systems.

Together with the International Atomic Energy Agency, FAO is leading research on microplastic detection in soil. They’re using advanced isotopic techniques and working to develop standardized testing methods so countries can measure the problem and respond effectively.

Concerns don’t end with the soil. Microplastics have been found in water, salt, fish, and even some vegetables. FAO has conducted scientific reviews on how these particles move through food systems, and what they might mean for human health. Research is ongoing, especially around effects on the gut microbiome, but efforts are already underway to improve testing and keep consumers informed.

National programs are starting to shift practices in real time. In Sri Lanka, FAO’s CIRCULAR project, funded by the European Union, is helping reduce single-use packaging and improve retail design. In Kenya and Uruguay, FAO is helping develop greener policies through the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management” (FARM) project, funded by the Global Environment Facility. The programme combines technical support, farmer outreach, and policy reform to shrink the plastic footprint of agriculture.

The Global Soil Partnership, hosted by FAO, includes the Global Soil Doctors programme—farmer-to-farmer training focused on practical tools to manage soil pollution. Knowledge moves across borders, one field at a time.

Plastic pollution doesn’t stop at the shoreline. Fishing gear—lost, abandoned, or discarded—chokes marine ecosystems and threatens coastal economies. FAO has issued guidelines on marking fishing gear to make it traceable and recoverable. Through the GloLitter Partnerships, implemented by IMO in collaboration with FAO, 30 countries are improving waste management in ports, testing cleaner vessel technologies, and tracking sources of marine litter.

Reducing plastic in agrifood systems isn’t a single solution—it’s a process of rethinking how we grow, move, and consume food in ways that protect people, soils, and oceans alike. Step by step, FAO is working to help countries move toward more sustainable and resilient food systems—ones that don’t rely on plastics to hold them together.

Excerpt:

Kaveh Zahedi is the Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Three children were rescued on Tuesday reportedly found clinging to trees after their bus was swept away.

Chumbe Island Coral Park is an example of a successful Marine Protected Area. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

Under the surface of Tanzania’s turquoise waters, a miracle unfolds quietly every day.

Just off the coast of Zanzibar, in the Chumbe Island Coral Park, reef fish glitter like scattered gemstones, weaving between coral gardens that pulse with life. The air is heavy with salt, and the silence underwater is only broken by the rhythmic clicks of snapping shrimp and the steady heartbeat of the sea itself. Sea turtles slither over hard corals. Butterflyfish dart like flashes of sunlight. It’s a living display—one of the most pristine marine ecosystems in East Africa.

And it might have been a thing of the past…

Three decades ago, this vibrant reef was on the verge of collapse. Unregulated fishing, reef blasting, and coral bleaching were turning once-vibrant habitats into underwater graveyards. But today, Chumbe stands as a glimmer of hope—a thriving marine sanctuary wholly managed by a private conservation initiative and proof of the power of local stewardship in a world waking up too slowly to an unfolding ocean crisis.

“If we save the sea, we save our world,” Sir David Attenborough whispers in the final scene of Ocean, his swan song to marine life. A humpback whale glides across the screen, her calf pressing gently against her side. “The ocean still has the power to heal,” he says. “All it asks of us is to let it breathe.”

At the recent UN Ocean Conference in Nice, Tanzania’s ocean story drew quiet admiration in global hallways increasingly crowded with diplomatic speeches and pledges. As policymakers debated the legal frameworks for deep-sea mining and delegates exchanged notes on 30×30 goals, one African nation presented a blueprint that blends science, law, and community with palpable urgency.

Chumbe: A Living Laboratory of Hope

Chumbe Island Coral Park, established in the mid-1990s, was one of the first marine protected areas (MPAs) in the region to be managed privately, without government funding. Its genesis was simple but bold: protect what remains before it’s gone. No fishing. No anchor damage. No pollution. No greenwashing.

The result? A thriving marine habitat where coral cover reaches over 90 percent—unheard of in many parts of the Indian Ocean. Rare species like giant groupers, humphead wrasses, and endangered hawksbill turtles breed undisturbed. Underwater, it feels like a lost world—alive, balanced, and breathing.

“Chumbe is proof that conservation isn’t a luxury—it’s survival,” says Rukia Hassan, a local marine guide trained by the park. “Our ocean is our life. Without it, we have nothing.”

And the reef gives back. The protected area replenishes nearby fishing zones through the spillover effect. Local communities, once skeptical, are now stewards and beneficiaries. Through ecotourism, jobs have been created, schools funded, and marine education embedded into Zanzibar’s youth culture.

“People thought banning fishing here would starve us,” says fisherman Salum Juma from nearby Mbweni village. “But now we see more fish than ever—on the reef and in our nets.”

Tanzania’s Ocean Strategy: Beyond Promises

While many nations arrive at global summits armed with pledges, Tanzania has quietly built its marine protection framework from the seafloor up. The National Marine Ecosystem Management Strategy outlines ambitious conservation targets across its 1,400-kilometer coastline, with a growing network of MPAs.

Leading the charge is Danstan Johnny Shimbo, Director of Legal Services at the Vice President’s Office. At the Ocean Summit, his message was clear: “We don’t govern the ocean for the sake of it. We do it because our survival depends on it.”

Under his leadership, Tanzania has ratified a suite of international marine agreements and is drafting regulations for deep-sea mining, balancing economic potential with ecological limits.

“Yes, we have minerals on our seabed,” Shimbo told IPS in an exclusive interview. “But we’re not going to destroy the ocean to get them.”

Tanzania has also cracked down on blast fishing, once rampant in mainland and island coastal zones. Enforcement teams now collaborate with local communities to report violations and restore reefs. Education campaigns are working: destructive fishing is no longer seen as an act of desperation but as an attack on future generations.

“It used to be about catching more fish,” says Fatuma Ali, a mother of three from Bagamoyo. “Now we talk about catching fish next year and the year after that.”

The Global View: A Race Against Time

Yet, the ocean is in peril. At the Nice summit, Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer and marine ecologist, delivered a haunting truth: only 3 percent of the global ocean is highly protected. To meet the 30×30 target—protecting 30 percent by 2030—85 new MPAs would need to be established every single day.

“What we’re doing right now is not enough,” Sala said. “The ocean needs courage, not half-measures.”

Countries like Sweden and Greece pledged to ban bottom trawling in MPAs. Others, like France, offered softer reforms. But in small island nations and community-led zones like Zanzibar’s Chumbe, the real conservation work is already happening.

“We’ve had enough conferences,” said Sala. “It’s time to act.”

A New Ocean Economy

What may finally turn the tide is money.

According to a recent study by National Geographic’s Pristine Seas and Dynamic Planet, every USD 1 invested in a well-managed MPA yields USD 10 in returns—from tourism and fisheries to storm protection. That economic logic is already bearing fruit in Chumbe, where ecotourism helps finance education, conservation, and livelihoods.

“MPAs aren’t a burden—they’re the smartest investment we can make,” said Kristin Rechberger, CEO of Dynamic Planet.

Tanzania’s strategy increasingly frames the ocean not just as an environmental issue but as an economic one. From fish exports to blue carbon markets and nature-based tourism, the sea is now seen as a bank—not to be emptied, but replenished.

Can Tanzania Inspire the World?

For Shimbo and others, the challenge ahead is massive. The rising pressure of climate change, industrial development, and plastic pollution threatens to undo years of progress. But Chumbe, Mafia Island Marine Park, and other MPAs remain shining examples of what’s possible.

“If a country like Tanzania, with limited resources, can do this,” said marine scientist  Grace Mwakalukwa from the Institute of Resources Assessment of the University of Dar es Salaam, “then rich nations have no excuse.”

As the world wrestles with how to fund ocean protection, Tanzania is proving that community, courage, and clear rules can go further than big speeches.

A Final Plea from the Reef

Back on Chumbe, a reef shark circles  a coral head  while a green turtle rests in a sandy lagoon. Above, schoolchildren visit the island’s Eco-Education Center, learning  how  sea cucumbers  filter water and parrotfish create  sand. They sketch fish, laugh at hermit crabs, and speak of the ocean  not as a problem but as a promise.

“We tell the children this is your inheritance,” says Rukia, the marine guide. “Protect it like you would your own home.”

The lesson is painfully clear: the world is running out of time to conserve unique marine biodiversity but not out of hope.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Pacific Island leaders speak at a press conference at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in Nice. Credit: Naureen Hossain/IPS

By Naureen Hossain
NICE, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

“There is no climate action without ocean action,” President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands told reporters, as she and other representatives of Pacific island states reiterated that countries must honor their climate action agreements.

“The ocean is bearing the brunt of our failure to address climate change and transition away from fossil fuels.”

Heine remarked that countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must include how they will transition toward renewable energy sources in line with the 1.5 degree limit under the Paris Agreement.

President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau remarked that protecting the oceans requires countries to deliver on 1.5-aligned NDCs. He called on all countries, including major emitters from the G20 to deliver on them by September this year. “We need to adapt to shield our oceans from further harm. And that means, plain and simple, money—and money that we can use,” said Whipps Jr.

On the second day of the UN Ocean Conference, leaders and representatives from Pacific island states spoke to reporters following the Pacific-France Summit with President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders sat down with Macron to discuss the role that France could play in supporting climate resilience in the Pacific islands. They hoped that he would be an advocate for the Pacific island states and climate action within the European Union (EU), the G20 and the G7. Heine acknowledged that their meeting was not a “formal negotiating venue.” Rather, it was an opportunity to share concerns from the Pacific island states.

Whipps Jr. said that he invited Macron to invest in the Blue Pacific Prosperity Initiative and Pacific Resilience Fund. “The gap between what we need and what we have is growing dangerously wide,” said Whipps Jr. Macron was said to have committed to investing in climate financing in the region, as Whipps stressed that financing should reach the communities that would benefit from it the most without it taking months or even years to reach them.

“In the Pacific, our security depends on climate action,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu. “Without climate action, we face a very dangerous future.”

Venues such as the Ocean Conference provide opportunities for underrepresented communities  and smaller countries to bring global attention to their challenges with the hope of effecting forward momentum, even as the process can be slow-moving.

“A lot of these changes that happen at the International level, when they do happen, are a result of these coalitions of the willing,” said Regenvanu, pointing to how nearly 50 countries have ratified the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and that 37 countries have issued a moratorium on seabed mining.

“It’s the way you get to change—building support.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Gaza children under rubble. Credit: Mohammad Ibrahim

By Melek Zahine
BORDEAUX, France, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

During President Trump’s tour of Gulf monarchies last month, he mentioned Gaza only two times. The first time was in Doha, when he expressed his desire to make Gaza a “freedom zone.” Gaza’s 2.1 million residents, nearly half of whom are children, would like that, too.

Just as the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in violation of the Geneva Convention have the right to immediate and unconditional freedom, Gazans also have the right to live free of the inhumane and illegal collective punishment they’ve been forced to endure for more than 600 days.

Melek Zahine

They would like freedom from the brutal bombardment, starvation, forced displacement, siege, and blockade of Gaza. They would also like the freedom to safely collect food and basic humanitarian supplies from the UN and other legitimate and experienced aid providers, the freedom to return to their communities to search for and bury their dead with dignity, and the freedom to rebuild Gaza even if it takes a generation.

The survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Dresden, Stalingrad, and Le Havre, were free to rebuild their cities. Why should this freedom be denied to Gazans?

When President Trump mentioned Gaza for the second time during his Gulf tour, he was in Abu Dhabi, where he briefly acknowledged the humanitarian crisis. He said, “We’re looking at Gaza. A lot of people are starving.”

The world now knows that President Trump’s words were nothing more than a virtue-signaling smoke screen. He wasn’t actually seeing the scale of the human suffering in Gaza, which the United States helped create.

Instead, he was talking about the so-called Gaza “Humanitarian Foundation,” a cynical and deadly tool designed by Israeli and U.S. officials to replace an established, functioning, independent, and credible international aid system in order to accelerate the ethnic cleansing and annexation of Gaza.

Since its launch ten days after Trump made his comments in Abu Dhabi, the G.H.F. has delivered more death than food and proven itself to be anything but humanitarian.

It’s just another lethal weapon in Israel’s vast Western-subsidized war arsenal and a way to appease Israel’s patrons in the U.S. Congress. How, after all, can “Hamas tunnels” and fighters hide beneath the emaciated, dying, and dead bodies of Gaza’s starved children?

Aftermath of a 6 May Israeli airstrike on an UNRWA school turned-shelter in Gaza where dozens of people were reportedly killed, including women and children. Credit: UNRWA

President Trump had a real chance to prove that his concerns for Gaza and his persistent claims of being a peacemaker were genuine during the 4 June U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire and full, unhindered humanitarian access.

Like President Biden before him, President Trump instructed his Acting U.N. Ambassador to cast the lone, shameful vote against a resolution meant to prevent the further loss of life in Gaza, including for the remaining Israeli hostages whose families have been pleading for a lasting ceasefire every day since November 2023.

This U.N. resolution wasn’t a political call for sanctions or an arms embargo against Israel. Nor was it a call to recognize the State of Palestine. It was simply a call for humanitarian action in order to get life-saving aid into Gaza at scale and to get the hostages out of captivity.

The political wisdom and courage to vote in favor of this ceasefire was the bare minimum President Trump and his administration could have offered. More importantly, it’s what a majority of American citizens have wanted for some time now, including those who voted for President Trump.

According to a March 2025 AP-NORC poll, 60% of Republicans now believe that “it’s essential” for the U.S. to “facilitate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” and in May, a Data for Progress poll showed that 76% of Americans across political lines are in favor of an immediate ceasefire and would like to see the U.S. do its part to de-escalate the crisis in Gaza.

By voting against the ceasefire and providing numerous misleading reasons for doing so afterward, President Trump ignored the views of a majority of Americans towards the increasingly desperate situation faced by Gaza’s besieged and starving population.

The urgent question now is whether the 14 sovereign states that voted in favor of the resolution will quickly honor their votes with meaningful action. There’s so much that can be done, from pausing trade talks and relations to arms embargoes and sanctions, but the following three measures will send a strong, immediate message that there’s serious determination behind the condemnation.

European, U.K., Turkish, and regional Arab States should join forces to provide a no-fly zone over Gaza. This action is the fastest way to stop Israel from prosecuting its deadly daily air strikes. I witnessed how it saved lives and paved the way to peace when NATO enforced a No Fly Zone over Bosnia for a thousand days between 1993 and 1995.

A no-fly zone over Gaza will help calm tensions in the region and build a political and humanitarian space for more seasoned mediators to ensure the safe release of the Israeli hostages and for legitimate humanitarian aid actors to resume operations through the Karem Shalom, Erez, and other crossings into Gaza.

Simultaneously, the deployment of French, Turkish, British, and Russian naval hospital ships already in or near the Mediterranean should sail to Gaza immediately, especially towards the North of the strip where no fully functioning hospitals remain and where people are dying for lack of basic medical supplies and infrastructure.

This action will help save lives and lift the burden from Gaza’s devastated healthcare system until it’s given a chance to recover. Furthermore, the governments that voted in favor of the resolution must pressure Israel to facilitate immediate access for international journalists into Gaza.

If a small sailboat in the Mediterranean and the thousands of ordinary citizens from 32 countries presently marching towards Gaza through Egypt can try to break Israel’s unlawful siege and blockade, surely the most powerful governments and navies from the Eurasian continent can do their part.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Excerpt:

Melek Zahine is an international humanitarian affairs and disaster response expert.

Clashing ideas over how Edgar Lungu should be honoured have led to a political standoff.

Clashing ideas over how Edgar Lungu should be honoured have led to a political standoff.

Clashing ideas over how Edgar Lungu should be honoured have led to a political standoff.

Credit: WHO/Christopher Black

By Samuel King
BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jun 11 2025 (IPS)

When the next pandemic strikes, the world should be better prepared. At least, that’s the promise states made at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Health Assembly on 19 May when they adopted the first global pandemic treaty. This milestone in international health cooperation emerged from three years of difficult negotiations, informed by the harsh lessons learned from COVID-19’s devastating global impacts.

Yet this step forward in multilateralism comes at a deeply difficult moment. The WHO, as the organisation tasked with implementing the agreement, faces its starkest ever financial crisis following the withdrawal of the USA, its biggest donor. Meanwhile, disagreements between states threaten to undermine the treaty’s aspirations. Some of the big decisions that would make the experience of the next pandemic a more equitable one for the world’s majority are still to be negotiated.

A treaty born from COVID-19’s failures

Processes to negotiate the Pandemic Agreement came as a response to the disjointed international reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the virus spread across borders, global north countries hoarded vaccines for their populations but left much of the world unprotected – an approach that as well as being manifestly unfair enabled the virus to further mutate. The treaty’s text emphasises the need for proper pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in all states, with the potential to enhance multilateral cooperation during health crises.

With 124 countries voting in favour, 11 abstaining and none voting against, many diplomats presented the agreement’s finalisation as a victory for global cooperation. It comes at a time when multilateralism is being severely tested, with powerful governments tearing up international rules, pulling out of international bodies and slashing funding. The window of opportunity to reach some kind of agreement was rapidly closing.

A major absence loomed large over the final negotiations. Upon his inauguration in January, President Trump announced the USA would withdraw from the WHO and halt all funding. The withdrawal of a superpower like the USA harms the WHO’s legitimacy and sends a signal to other populist governments that withdrawal is an option. Argentina is following its lead and Hungary may too.

Funding crisis

US withdrawal will leave an enormous funding gap. In the pre-Trump era, the USA was the WHO’s biggest contributor: it provided US$1.28 billion in 2022-2023, amounting to 12 per cent of the WHO’s approved budget and roughly 15 per cent of its actual budget.

As the treaty was agreed, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus painted a disturbing picture of the organisation’s financial situation. Its 2022-2023 budget showed a US$2 billion shortfall and its current salary gap is over US$500 million. The proposed budget for 2026-2027 has already been slashed by 21 per cent, and this reduced budget is expected to receive only around 60 per cent of the funding needed. The WHO will likely have to cut staff and close offices in many countries.

This reflects a lack of political will: states are making the choice of cutting down on global cooperation while boosting their defence spending. The current WHO funding gap of US$2.1 billion is the equivalent of just eight hours of global military expenditure.

Big issues kicked down the road

Deteriorating political realities made it crucial to reach an agreement as soon as possible, even if this meant kicking some difficult decisions down the road. As a result, the text of the agreement has severe weaknesses.

The treaty lacks dedicated funding and robust enforcement mechanisms, which means the blatant inequalities that defined the global response to COVID-19 are likely to remain unconfronted. It doesn’t tackle the most critical and contested issues, including the international sharing of pathogens and vaccine access.

The treaty will open for ratification following the negotiation of an annex on a pathogen access and benefit-sharing system, a process that could take a further two years. This means implementation is likely still a long way away.

The current impasse reflects an enduring faultline between global south states that need better access to affordable health products and technologies, and global north states siding with powerful pharmaceutical corporations that want their assets protected. Wealthy governments are making their decisions safe in the knowledge they’ll be at the front of the line when the next pandemic starts, while the world’s poorest people will again face the brunt of the devastation.

Political will needed

The Pandemic Agreement is a step forward at a time when international cooperation faces increasing attacks. That 124 countries demonstrated their commitment to multilateral action on global health threats offers hope. But substantial work remains if the treaty is to enable a truly global and fair response to the next health crisis.

For that to happen, the world’s wealthiest states need to put narrow self-interest calculations aside. States also need to address the issue of long-term funding. Right now, global leaders have agreed on the need for coordinated pandemic preparedness, but the institution meant to lead this doesn’t have the resources needed to put goals into action.

The next pandemic will test not just scientific capabilities, but also collective commitment to the shared global values the treaty is supposed to represent. Political will and funding are needed to turn lofty aspirations into meaningful action.

Samuel King is a researcher with the Horizon Europe-funded research project ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

For interviews or more information, please contact research@civicus.org

 

A UN human rights panel says the deal "fails to guarantee" the rights of Chagossians.

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A handcrafted tapa with a map of the Blue Pacific was unveiled at the launch of Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP). Credit: SPC

By Cecilia Russell
NICE, France, Jun 10 2025 (IPS)

While the island states in the Pacific may be modest, the ocean that surrounds them represents a huge oceanic state—an area equivalent to the entire European Continent.

And for the first time, 22 Pacific Island countries and territories have pledged to manage 100 percent of the Blue Pacific Continent sustainably and protect at least 30 percent by 2030, Director General of the Pacific Community Dr. Stuart Minchin told a packed-to-capacity crowd at a launch held on June 10 at the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) currently underway in Nice, France.

“That kind of commitment sends a clear message the Pacific is not waiting on the world,” Minchin said of the project known as the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP).

Elaborating on the project, speakers said this initiative, dubbed the largest conservation project in the world, meant that the countries and territories have shifted from short-term regional projects to long-term, Pacific-led solutions over donor-driven models.

The commitment aims to support healthy oceans, strong communities, and blue economies, integrating traditional wisdom and indigenous practices.

Hon. Maina Vakafua, Minister of Climate Change, Tuvalu, described the project as a “gift from the Pacific to the world in support of global goals for biodiversity, climate action, and sustainable development.”

“We are moving away from small, one-time projects to more coordinated, long-term programs that support healthy oceans, strong communities, and blue economies.”

With it, Vakafua said, came blended finance tools that would fit the needs of the Pacific countries—especially in a region where, despite being on the frontlines of climate change, less than 1 percent of global climate finance reaches the region, representing 4.6 percent allocated to the Asia-Pacific and less than 7 percent of the assessed climate finance needs.

“We are protecting our ocean, and we are helping to create a better future for everyone, especially those who depend on the oceans for their daily survival. We invite partners, donors, and friends of the ocean to join us,” Vakafua said.

UBPP’s goals include 100 percent conservation, robust food systems, and fit-for-purpose financing. Financing mechanisms include grants, payments for ecosystem services, and loans. The initiative aims to create a regenerative blue economy, supporting marine protected areas, coastal stewardship, and nature-positive businesses.

Karena Lyons, Director of Partnerships, Integration, and Resource Mobilization, explained that the Pacific leaders came together because they recognized the need for a region-led initiative to take ocean stewardship to the next level.

“They saw how climate change is impacting our peoples, putting food security, water access, and livelihoods at risk, so the EBPP represents our intention to shift the paradigm.”

“This will be the largest coordinated ocean conservation effort in the history of the world. This is an area the size of the European continent. What’s different is that we want to build it with investors and strategic partners so that we can align capital with climate, conservation, and community outcomes.”

The launch ended with an unveiling of a handcrafted tapa, adorned with a map of the Blue Pacific, made and designed in Fiji. The tapa symbolizes unity and a shared vision for ocean protection and will travel around the Pacific, collecting stories of ocean advocacy and action—in the end It will be auctioned to support ocean conservation efforts.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Three children have been found alive, with search and rescue operations suspended for the night.

“10,000 Ships for the Ocean," launched at the UNOC3 in Nice, aims to build the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) by collaborating with the maritime industry to collect data. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS

By Kizito Makoye
NICE, France, Jun 10 2025 (IPS)

A groundbreaking initiative to revolutionize global ocean observation is being launched this week at the UN Ocean Conference side event, aiming to enlist 10,000 commercial ships to collect and transmit vital ocean and weather data by 2035.

Known as “10,000 Ships for the Ocean,” the ambitious program seeks to vastly expand the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) by collaborating with the maritime industry to install state-of-the-art automated sensors aboard vessels that crisscross the globe’s waters.

“Ships have been observing the ocean for centuries, but today, we are scaling up with purpose and urgency,” said Joanna Post, Director of the Global Ocean Observing System at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), at a press conference. “What we want to do now is to create a win-win model for the shipping industry and the planet—providing useful data for forecasting and resilience, while helping optimize shipping routes and reduce risks.”

The initiative, backed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), France, and major shipping players, comes at a pivotal time as climate-driven disasters increasingly wreak havoc on vulnerable coastal communities. Observations from the ocean surface—ranging from temperature to salinity to atmospheric conditions—are critical for weather forecasts, early warning systems, climate models, and maritime safety.

A Critical Infrastructure for Humanity

“Ocean observations are not just a scientific endeavor. They are critical infrastructure for society,” said Post. “We need this data to understand climate change, predict extreme weather events, and respond to disasters. Yet the ocean remains vastly under-observed.”

Currently, only around 1,000 ships regularly collect and share data with scientific networks. The initiative aims to increase this number tenfold, mobilizing 10,000 vessels to provide near real-time ocean data that can be used to power the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative, support the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch, and advance the goals of the UN Ocean Decade.

Mathieu Belbéoch, Manager of OceanOPS—run jointly by WMO and IOC—described the system as a “complex infrastructure of systems” composed of some 10,000 elements, including satellites, buoys, and ships. “If you want to make any prediction, you need observation,” he said. “Commercial vessels are the missing link in helping us build a more complete picture of what is happening at sea.”

Belbéoch emphasized that over a century of maritime observation provides a strong foundation, but the data gaps remain vast. “This initiative is about making use of the ships already out there. The ocean is our blind spot, and yet it drives our climate.”

A Smart Business Move for Sustainability

The campaign invites shipping companies to voluntarily join the program by installing standardized, automated observation equipment on board. “It’s a smart business move,” said Post, “because in addition to serving the common good, it helps the industry reduce fuel costs, increase safety, and meet sustainability goals.”

In response to a question raised by IPS on how developing countries with limited merchant fleets can participate in the initiative, Post explained, “This is where partnership becomes crucial. Even if countries don’t have large commercial fleets, they can benefit from the data and engage through science, policy, or by hosting data centers. Inclusivity is key to making this a truly global system.”

Strong Political Momentum

The launch of the 10,000 Ships initiative comes just as momentum builds around the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty. With 136 signatories and now 16 ratifications, the treaty is edging closer to the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the agreement a “historic step towards protecting vast areas of the ocean,” urging nations to ratify quickly.

The joint declaration unveiled at the conference called for concrete commitments by 2030 and 2035, aligning the 10,000 Ships program with broader Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Ocean Decade’s Challenge 7: expanding the Global Ocean Observing System.

“The ocean has long given to us,” said Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. “It’s time we give back—through action, technology, and partnerships. 10,000 ships is not a dream. It’s an imperative.”

As oceans warm, sea levels rise, and extreme weather intensifies, the launch of this initiative signals a critical move toward a more informed, prepared, and cooperative global response. The sea may be vast, but with the right tools and partnerships, it need not be unknown.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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The late afternoon sun sparkles on the waters of the French Riviera as yachts dock at the Port of Nice with mechanical grace. A tram glides past palm-lined boulevards, where joggers, drenched in sweat, huff past leisurely strollers and sunbathers. Just beside the promenade, a crowd gathers around a young girl. With braided hair bouncing […]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Credit: Naureen Hossain

By Naureen Hossain
NICE, France, Jun 10 2025 (IPS)

“When we poison the ocean, we poison ourselves,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters on the second day of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3).

“There’s a tipping point approaching—beyond which recovery may become impossible. And let us be clear: Powerful interests are pushing us towards that brink. We are facing a hard battle against a clear enemy. Its name is greed.”

Guterres made the comments in a press briefing where he relayed his priorities for the conference and the need for urgent action toward ocean conservation and sustainability.

He remarked on the “clear link” between climate change, biodiversity, and marine protection, and that without timely and effective intervention, both the ocean and humanity would be irreversibly impacted.

Guterres called for increased “financial and technological support” to developing countries, including coastal communities and small-island nations, so that they are in a position to protect themselves from extreme weather and natural disasters.

As overfishing threatens marine biodiversity, countries must work together to enforce stronger measures against illegal fishing and expand protected areas in order to safeguard marine life. To that end, Guterres called for countries to deliver on the target to conserve at least 30 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

Scientists have said that the 1.5 degree threshold to mitigate the worst of global warming is still achievable. Yet as Guterres pointed out, they have been “unanimous” in saying that the international community is “on the brink of the tipping point that might make it impossible.” As the ocean absorbs carbon emissions, this has contributed to the imbalances in its biodiversity, such as extremely high temperatures and coral reef bleaching.

There is not “enough urgency, enough spirit” towards an energy transition to renewable sources. Guterres urged countries to formulate and present Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for COP30 in Brazil. These NDCs or climate action plans should be “fully compatible” with the 1.5 degree threshold and that will work towards “dramatic reductions” in emissions by 2035. “We must accelerate our transition, and this is for me the most important objective of the next COP.”

Guterres noted positively the significant turnout from governments, civil society, business leaders, Indigenous groups, and the science community for this year’s Ocean Conference. This is a clear show of “momentum and enthusiasm” on the issue of ocean conservation and sustainability. He added that in the two years since the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) was first adopted in 2023, 134 countries have signed it and 50 have ratified it, including 15 new signatories and ratifications since the start of the conference. The BBNJ may soon come into effect once it has received 60 ratifications or acceptances.

The spirit of solidarity that has brought groups from all corners of the world to participate in UNOC must be carried right to its end and beyond. “I urge everyone to step forward with decisive commitments and tangible funding. The ocean has given us so much. It is time we returned the favor. Our health, our climate, and our future depend on it,” Guterres said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Additional years of life in old age certainly offer positive news for older men and women and for their families, friends, and communities. However, those additional years of life for older individuals also raise noteworthy challenges. Credit: Shutterstock

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, Jun 10 2025 (IPS)

Older men and women are now living longer than ever before. Across the globe, individuals who reach old age can expect to have more years of life ahead of them than in previous generations. However, these additional years of life, coupled with the disparities among and within countries, including variations between older men and women, present substantial economic, social, and political challenges for societies.

 

Global Trends

In 1950, the world’s average life expectancies for men and women at age 65 were about 11 and 12 additional years, respectively. By 2025, those average life expectancies at age 65 increased by over 50%, reaching about 16 additional years of life for men and 19 additional years for women.

The trend of living longer at age 65 is expected to continue throughout the rest of the 21st century. By 2100, for example, the world’s average life expectancies for men and women at age 65 are projected to be 21 and 23 additional years, respectively, which are double the numbers of additional years of remaining life in 1950 (Figure 1).

 

Source: United Nations.

 

The good news about older men and women living longer is also clear at age 80. In 1950, the world’s average life expectancies for men and women at age 80 were approximately 5 years. By 2025, that average life expectancy is estimated to have increased by approximately 50%, reaching close to 8 additional years for men and 9 years for women.

The largest gains and highest levels of life expectancy at older ages are among wealthier, more developed countries. While less developed countries have also gained additional years of life at older ages, their increases have been substantially less than those of the more developed countries, which has contributed to widening the gap between them

As at age 65, the trend of men and women living longer at age 80 is also expected to continue throughout the rest of the 21st century. By 2100, for example, the world’s life expectancies at age 80 for men and women are projected to be approximately 11 and 12 years, respectively.

The gains in longevity at older ages have also increased the differences between men and women. Not only do women live longer than men, but differences in additional years of life at older ages between them have increased during the past seventy-five years.

 

Country Trends

The largest gains and highest levels of life expectancy at older ages are among wealthier, more developed countries. While less developed countries have also gained additional years of life at older ages, their increases have been substantially less than those of the more developed countries, which has contributed to widening the gap between them.

In Japan and Italy, for example, the current additional years of life for men and women aged 65 are approximately 20 years and 24 years, respectively, or nearly double the levels in 1950. A similar pattern of increase in additional years of life for those two countries took place for men and women at age 80.

In contrast, the current additional years of life of men and women aged 65 in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are about 13 years, which are only several years more than they were in 1950. Also, the improvements in additional years of life for men and women at age 80 since 1950 are relatively modest, typically only a single year of increase (Table 1).

 

Source: United Nations.

 

Regarding the future, the additional years of life of older persons among countries are expected to continue increasing worldwide throughout the 21st century. In Japan and Italy, for example, men and women aged 65 years at the end of the century can expect to live approximately 28 and 32 additional years, respectively.

Again, in contrast, the corresponding gains in additional years of life for men and women aged 65 in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considerably lower. By the end of the century, the additional years of life for men and women aged 65 years in those two countries are around 15 years.

Besides variations across countries, the additional years of life of older individuals also vary significantly within countries.

For example, in the United States, life expectancies of older individuals vary among the country’s fifty states. These variations are mainly because of differences in socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, public health policies, lifestyle factors, and political policies.

In 2021, the highest life expectancies for those 65 years and older were approximately 18 years for males and 21 years for females in Hawaii, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York. In contrast, the lowest life expectancies at age 65 were about 15 years for males and 18 years for females in Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Kentucky (Figure 2).

 

Source: US National Vital Statistics Reports.

 

Challenges

Additional years of life in old age certainly offer positive news for older men and women and for their families, friends, and communities. Longer lives for older men and women provide them with additional time for learning, adventure, recreation, development, work, and contributions.

However, those additional years of life for older individuals also raise noteworthy challenges.

For example, challenges will arise for public health, housing, work and retirement, healthcare, and elder care. Also, the increased life expectancies for older men and women raise the risks of multiple morbidity, disability, dementia, and degenerative diseases.

At the same time that older people are living longer, fertility rates are declining worldwide, with many countries experiencing below replacement fertility. And because of those low fertility rates, countries are entering uncharted territories of population decline and demographic ageing.

One important consequence of those uncharted territories is declining potential support ratios, i.e., declining numbers of persons aged 20 to 64 years per person aged 65 years or older.

Whereas the world’s potential support ratio was 10 in 1950, it declined to 8.6 by 1975 and declined further to 5.0 by 2025. By 2050, the ratio is expected to be 3.0 (Table 2).

 

Source: United Nations.

The declining potential support ratios, which are occurring worldwide but are the lowest in more developed countries, raise the important issue of the age for retirement.

Ageing populations, decreasing fertility rates, and declining potential support ratios are impacting the financial sustainability of pension systems. As a result, a common policy strategy of many countries that aims to address the financial viability of their pension systems is to raise their current retirement ages.

As French President Emmanuel Macron has said, “vivre plus longtemps, travailler plus longtemps” (“live longer, work longer”). China is also gradually raising the retirement age to address its shrinking workforce relative to its growing older population.

As with government pension programs, the increasing longevity and growing proportions of older persons are also impacting the affordability and financial sustainability of government healthcare systems.

In particular, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as the need for long-term care services, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities, are rapidly increasing healthcare costs for the growing population of older men and women who are living longer lives.

 

Conclusions

In conclusion, there are several important points that need to be emphasized. First, older men and women are now living longer than ever before, and this trend of increased longevity is expected to continue throughout the 21st century.

Second, the additional years of life expectancy among older individuals have widened the gap between more developed and less developed countries. While gains in life expectancies for older individuals have occurred worldwide, the largest gains have been seen in the wealthier, more developed countries.

Besides differences among countries, the gains in longevity at older ages also vary within countries. Variations within countries arise mainly because of differences in socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, public health policies, lifestyle factors, and political policies.

Third, the gains in life expectancy at older ages have also increased the differences between men and women. Not only do women live longer than men, but the gap in additional years of life at older ages between them has increased in recent years, particularly in more developed countries.

Finally, the additional years of life for older men and women, combined with population decline and demographic ageing, present important economic, social, and political challenges for governments and their citizens. Challenges will arise in the areas of public health, housing, work and retirement, healthcare, and elder care.

 

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, a former director of the United Nations Population Division, and author of many publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Population Levels, Trends, and Differentials”.

A car drives through flood waters during the monsoon season in Kolkata, India. Climate change has impacted local economies' activities. Credit: Pexels/Dibakar Roy

By Michał Podolski
BANGKOK, Thailand, Jun 10 2025 (IPS)

Year by year researchers improve and deepen our understanding of economic activity. The primary example, and probably the most commonly used, is the detailed data and analysis available on gross domestic product (GDP).

Yet, it is merely one of several measures of economic activity and development used by researchers, economists and policymakers. As no one would describe the weather solely by temperature when a storm is developing, focusing solely on GDP when analysing the economic impact of climate change and climate action would be far from adequate.

And this is where many of us, whether policymakers, researchers or citizens who care about the economic impacts of climate change, must wonder: what are the other macroeconomic indicators to use?

This is also what ESCAP’s Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2025 report sheds more light on.

There is plenty of reliable information on different economic sectors and spheres of economic activity. Productivity, employment, technological adoption or capital investment are just some most looked at. Besides economic performance, these indicators also can reveal how climate change affects economies at the grassroots level – where people work and businesses operate.

However, this information is often hidden and difficult to notice due to the complexity and vastness of climate-economy impact channels.

For instance, economy-wide productivity tends to rise until we reach certain temperature level. The “optimal level” is currently estimated at around 13°C on average during a year. Why? The impact of too low or high temperatures is not just that people work less efficiently in extreme cold or heat.

For example, in agriculture, higher temperatures impact plant growth, therefore agricultural productivity. As temperatures shift, farmers need to adopt new crops or farming techniques, but they are often lacking the skills or financial resources to adapt to new reality.

Rising temperatures also facilitate the spread of diseases, such as dengue, which is now appearing further towards North than before.

Once ill, people are unable to work. With higher temperatures, children may miss school or struggle to concentrate and learn. The effects of worse education may not be clearly visible in today’s productivity data but will manifest in decades to come.

Similarly, extreme weather events, driven by rising temperatures, not only cause significant infrastructure damage but also reduce productivity through seemingly trivial issues like traffic jams. Even a 15-minute delay becomes significant when it occurs regularly to millions of people.

Such disruptions increase transportation costs, necessitate larger inventories and reduce capital productivity, particularly in manufacturing. Hotter, more humid conditions also cause machinery to fail more frequently.

The hidden and less intuitive impact channels extend far beyond the already simplified yet still complex overview shared above. For example, lower productivity reduces wages and household incomes, which in turn limits households’ ability to save.

Smaller domestic savings hold back business expansion and job creation, as well as push up borrowing costs. At the end, securing a mortgage may become more challenging while house construction itself is more costly – all just because of some hotter or wetter conditions.

Although the above impact channels are well-documented, reasonable and logical, there are still massive research gaps on their exact scale, intensity, and local impact. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its climate report compiled by hundreds of researchers spanning climate science, biology, geography, economics and social sciences in 2022, concluded, “Projected estimates of global aggregate net economic damages generally increase non-linearly with global warming levels. The wide range of global estimates, and the lack of comparability between methodologies, does not allow for identification of a robust range of estimates. (…) Economic damages, including both those represented and those not represented in economic markets, are projected to be lower at 1.5°C than at 3°C or higher global warming levels.”

To put it simply: we know that climate change negatively impacts economies, and we know that the impact worsens with greater warming. However, we cannot yet determine whether the economic impact of climate change will be mild, severe or catastrophic – this requires further research, in particular on localized impact.

Those who view the climate change impact channels described above as remote from everyday concerns and assume that their effects are negligible, may wonder about their long-term aggregate impact: losing even a small amount of money every day, by everyone, for decades or even centuries to come adds up to tremendous amounts.

Therefore, even if with climate change, we all lose, informed policy action can lower these loses, and macroeconomic indicators are one of the tools that help and still have lots of potential to improve climate action.

Given the above considerations, as ESCAP’s Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2025 report argues, we need not only a more comprehensive understanding of climate change and economy nexus but broader and more common use of the current macroeconomic findings.

The report contributes to this conversation by examining how the economic impacts of climate change and climate action are reflected in macroeconomic indicators, outlining what can and should be done to better navigate the climate storm.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Excerpt:

Michal Podolski is Associate Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP

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