©UNCTAD-Oceans
Background
In the context of the upcoming third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), to be held on 9-13 June 2025 in Nice, the support of Member States and other stakeholders becomes increasingly critical for the Conference’s success. In March 2025 in Geneva, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in collaboration with UNDESA, FAO, UNEP, UNDOALOS, the Commonwealth, the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States, and the International Ocean Institute, organized the Fifth UN Ocean Forum to strengthen the economic and trade aspects of SDG14.
Co-chaired and co-sponsored by France and Costa Rica, the 5th Ocean Forum brought together approximately 500 stakeholders both in person and online. This year the Forum focused on the “Ocean economy, trade policy, and the climate and development nexus,” resulting in the issuance by the Co-chairs of 15 action-oriented recommendations for the UNOC3 process. At the Ocean Forum, substantive discussions were supported by a Background Note prepared by UNCTAD and FAO.
Objective
The briefing will contribute to informing the preparatory process for the United Nations Oceans Conference about the outcomes of the UN Ocean Forum. Ms. Luz Maria de la Mora, Director of the International Trade and Commodities Division at UNCTAD, whose team led the organization of the Ocean Forum in Geneva, will share the Co-Chairs’ recommendations and other outcomes of the 5th Ocean Forum.
Tentative agenda
Opening remarks by France and Costa Rica, co-organizers of UNOC3
- H.E. Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
- Mr. Roberto Avendaño Sancho, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations
Briefing on the outcomes of the 5th UN Ocean Forum
- Ms. Luz Maria de la Mora, Director, Division on International Trade and Commodities, UNCTAD
UNCTAD’s contribution to UNOC3
- Mr. David Vivas Eugui, Chief a.i. Ocean and Circular Economy Unit of the Trade, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (TED) Branch, UNCTAD
- Ms. Regina Asariotis, Chief a.i. Trade Logistics Branch and Chief of the Policy and Legislation Section, UNCTAD
Interactive discussion with Member States, moderated by Mr. Juan José Martinez Badillo, Chief of UNCTAD New York Office.
Venue: UNCTAD Conference Room, located at 2 United Nations Plaza, DC2-1120, 11th floor, 44th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.
Connection details: To be provided upon registration.
Jérôme Bonnafont is the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations Office at Geneva since September 2021.
Prior to his appointment in Geneva, Mr. Bonnafont was, since September 2020, working on human resources policies at the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, after having been Advisor to the Prime Minister, from January 2020 to July 2020. Previously, between 2015 and 2019, Mr. Bonnafont was the Director of North Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs. From 2011 to 2012, he was Chief of Staff to the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Bonnafont served as the Ambassador of France to Spain (2012-2015) and to India (2007-2011). He was Counselor at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York (1993-1995) and at the Embassy of France in Kuwait (1991-1993), as well as Secretary at the Embassy of France in India (1986-1989).
The Permanent Representative also worked as the Advisor for Global Affairs and the Spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic (1997-2007), Head of the International Affairs Department of the Ministry of the Environment (1996-1997), and in the Directorate of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1995-1996).
Born on 8 January 1961, Mr. Bonnafont is a graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris and the École Nationale d'Administration.
Luz Maria de la Mora is the Director of UNCTAD's Division on International Trade and Commodities. As a former Vice-Minister for International Trade and decades of government and private sector positions, Ms. de la Mora developed a career in international trade policy, negotiation, operations, and trade promotion.
During her tenure as Vice-Minister for International Trade of Mexico from 2018 to 2022, Ms. de la Mora led Mexico's trade and investment policy, overseeing fourteen free trade agreements with 51 countries. To bolster Mexico's development, she steered discussions in the World Trade Organization, the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and Pacific Alliance, among others. She also coordinated policy dialogues and handled private sector consultations.
Ms. de la Mora holds a PhD in Political Science from Yale University, USA, a Master's degree in International Affairs from Carleton University, Canada, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from El Colegio de México, Mexico.
She is fluent in English and Spanish, and proficient in French.
David Vivas Eugui is Chief (a.i) of the Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development Branch at UNCTAD.
Previously, he was a Senior Economic Affairs Officer in UNCTAD’s Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy Branch, Deputy Programmes Director at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Attaché for Legal Affairs at the Mission of Venezuela to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Staff Attorney at the Venezuelan Institute of Foreign Trade. David is an international expert with more than 20 years of experience on legal and economic issues.
He has worked as an advisor and consultant for various institutions, international and national organizations and has lectured on intellectual property, trade, oceans economy and environmental law at the University of Strasbourg (CEIPI), Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), Maastricht University (the Netherlands), WIPO Distant Learning Academy, and University of Business and International Studies (Switzerland).
He holds a JD from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, an LLM from Georgetown University and a Master in Transnational Business from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Regina Asariotis is Chief (a.i.) of the Trade Logistics Branch in the Division on Technology and Logistics of UNCTAD. She is also Chief of the Policy and Legislation Section, with responsibility for work on transport law and policy.
This includes extensive research, expert dialogue and technical cooperation on implications of climate change for maritime transport and trade, with focus on climate change impacts and adaptation for seaports and other critical transport infrastructure, including in SIDS. Before joining UNCTAD in 2001, Regina was a Senior Lecturer in Maritime Law at the University of Southampton. She holds a German law degree, an LL.M, as well as a PhD from the University of Hamburg and is a Barrister (England & Wales) and Attorney at Law (Greece), as well as Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
