Indigenous leaders are at teh forefront of ocean conservation, emphasizing their crucial role in protecting our planet’s waters. At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), they underscored their deep-rooted connection to the sea, offering invaluable insights for global sustainability efforts. This article highlights the pivotal role of “indigenous guardianship” as a primary_keyword, showcasing initiatives like the pioneering Melanesian Ocean Reserve. By leveraging centuries of intergenerational knowledge, thes communities are offering a powerful secondary_keyword: new strategies to foster genuinely healthy ecosystems.News Directory 3 recognizes the urgency conveyed by these communities and the global imperative to collaborate with them.Eager to learn more about how indigenous communities are shaping the future of our oceans? Discover what’s next …
Indigenous voices Emphasize Ocean Conservation at UNOC3
Updated June 12, 2025
NICE, France—Indigenous leaders at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) are advocating for their inclusion in global discussions about sustainable ocean use and conservation. They emphasize that their past connection to the ocean provides valuable lessons for the international community.
‘aulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, observed a shift in attitude at UNOC3, noting increased motivation from governments and NGOs to collaborate with indigenous groups and local communities. Nia Tero is an NGO that champions the role of indigenous people as stewards of the natural world, protecting planetary life through indigenous guardianship.
Wilhelm told IPS that leaders are increasingly calling for equity, justice, and recognition of indigenous peoples within the ocean community. She added that there is a growing shared understanding of the threats facing the oceans and the need for collaboration.
Several initiatives highlighted at UNOC3 demonstrate the vital role of indigenous communities. The recently announced Melanesian Ocean Reserve,spanning over 6 million square kilometers across the Solomon Islands,Vanuatu,and Papua New Guinea,stands as the first Indigenous-led,multinational ocean reserve. Wilhelm also mentioned the spontaneous formation of an indigenous ocean alliance during the conference.
Wilhelm noted a notable change in both language and intention, with government leaders expressing a commitment to work *with* indigenous peoples and local communities.
“We’re no longer having the conversation of ‘let us do something for you, but let us look to indigenous leaders to lead and how can we come alongside?’ That is it. That is a sea change—pun intended—of where the ocean community is going… We have a long way to go, but these are signals , embers that are igniting, that are enabling this to happen. So let’s find those leaders and let’s back them up.”
“The only time-tested approach to really having healthy ecosystems and people is indigenous guardianship, so let’s invest there.”
Wilhelm defines indigenous guardianship as a collective, intergenerational connection to the natural world. “These places are their relations—they are kin. They are home. They are not separate,” she said. “Indigenous guardianship isn’t something we have to create. It is already there.”
Lysa Win, Nia Tero’s Pasifik director, emphasized the obligation inherent in indigenous guardianship. “It is a responsibility to take care of home and life around them,” Win said. “It is about people who have lived for centuries with place and have that deep connection and have built knowledge and systems.”
Win cited the Solomon Islands as an exmaple, where indigenous communities maintain sovereignty over their territories and apply their traditional knowledge. She highlighted the importance of balancing different knowledge systems without prioritizing one over another.
“There’s different knowledge around, but to help complement it with what we have.”
Wilhelm acknowledged the challenges of conveying indigenous principles in climate forums, noting the risk of oversimplifying their worldview. Win added that she is mindful of her language,as her perspective can seem deceptively simple.
both Wilhelm and Win stressed that indigenous people’s engagement is as crucial as their knowledge. They emphasized that they attend global climate discussions as members of their communities, not as sole representatives.
Indigenous guardianship stems from a deep connection to nature, with knowledge and kinship passed down through generations. Wilhelm believes this mindset is essential for fostering a healthy relationship with the ocean.
“Helping other people see the importance of the ‘how’ and the time and the values that you would put into it, that is going to guide better decision-making,” she said. “People want to understand, ‘what is the magic of ‘indigenous guardianship?’ It’s really simple: it’s relationship-based. It’s really being values-led, values of continuing care, not exploitation and extraction… Being able to have enough and making sure we can thrive and that our ancestral components of nature can thrive.”
Win added that indigenous guardianship involves adapting to the changes affecting the ocean. “With these changes, we have created knowledge and transformed our knowledge over time as well, and that is what we’re bringing, sharing our stories here so that there is that place of hope. How can we together to deal with this crisis?”
UNOC3 facilitated the exchange of knowledge and highlighted the importance of prioritizing ocean care through the lens of past knowledge and future considerations.Win noted the relevance of this sense of responsibility to place and future generations for women community leaders.
A panel event at UNOC3 featured a screening of ‘Remathu: People of the Ocean,’ a documentary about Nicole yamase, the first Micronesian woman to dive into the deepest parts of the ocean. Sylvia earle, CEO of Mission Blue, attended and shared her experiences, offering support to younger women in the field.
“they came to make sure that Nicole Yamase didn’t face the same kind of challenges that they did when they were the pioneers in the field… that is the human experience about what does it feel like to not be enough when you are doing extraordinary things for the ocean, as examples for other women,” she said. “Women are not… just that sense of ‘not enough,’ and how do you break through it and how do you bring yoru community along? That story wasn’t about Nicole; it was about her as a member of her community and what it means to be able to give back.”
“The indigenous voice that we’re bringing, it should not just be in text. It should not stop there.It should be global lessons and continually looking at each other, with us learning from them and them learning from us. Putting that into solutions and into texts at these global forums.”
“Our voices have not been heard, listened to, or included. I don’t say that as a victim; I say that as, ‘If we want to get on with this, we better get serious!’,” said Wilhelm. “These are the voices and knowledge-holders that will bring a different sense of what the problem is and the solutions that we need to fix it.”
What’s next
The insights shared at UNOC3 are expected to influence future policies and initiatives related to ocean conservation, with a greater emphasis on incorporating indigenous knowledge and practices.
