The document you can find in the link below, reflects the collective stance of the MedCities Coastal Cities Working Group (WG), with expanded participation from additional cities, to be presented at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice/Nissa (Occitanie, France) from 9 to 13 June 2025. The preparation of this document, as well as the participation of the MedCities secretariat and some members in UNOC3, has been made possible thanks to the contribution of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area through the MetroMed Project.

UNOC3 aims to accelerate action towards the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean. The MedCities Coastal Cities working group seeks to leverage this Conference to advocate for Mediterranean coastal cities’ needs and priorities, particularly regarding coastal management and adaptation, blue economy challenges, and pollution reduction. Additionally, the Ocean Rise & Resilience Coalition of Cities and Regions will be officially launched on 7 June during a special event at UNOC3, which offers an opportunity for this WG to amplify its messages towards strategic advocacy targets.

The purpose of this document is to present the common priorities, positions and concerns of these Mediterranean coastal municipalities, with a focus on influencing key global, regional and national policy frameworks and agendas, such as: the Nice Ocean Action Plan (the high-level political declaration of UNOC3), Commitments and voluntary Pledges made by national delegations during UNOC, the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention high-level ministerial declaration at UNOC3, the New Pact for the Mediterranean (to be established by the European Commission to enhance strategic partnerships with southern and eastern Mediterranean neighbours on coastal and marine governance), National Restoration Plans currently being drafted by EU Member States under the Nature Restoration Regulation, COP24 of the Barcelona Convention and the revision of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), and other relevant international institutions involved in urban coastal and marine strategies.

The alignment presented here reflects these local authorities’ commitment to sustainable urban coastal development, particularly in the face of the global triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The document builds on existing positions developed by MedCities and endorsed by its Coastal Cities WG members, from five key strategic documents:

1. Ocean Cities Network: Manifesto towards the Global Treaty on Plastic (2022)
2. A regional seminar report on Coastal Cities along the Mediterranean: governance strategies for port & city interactions (2023)
3. Oceans Cities Network: recommendations on restoration of urban coastal ecosystems (2024)
4. Study on instruments that could be applied by local authorities to foster coastal and marine protection (2024)
5. Mission for Natural Heritage: policy recommendations to support the implementation of Target 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Nature Restoration Regulation in the Mediterranean (2025)

Led by the MedCities Secretariat, with the support of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) as part of the MetroMed project, the MedCities Coastal Cities Working Group has agreed on a common position regarding policy demands related to the role of Mediterranean local authorities in promoting sustainable and healthy coastal ecosystems.