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UN PhotoNICE / UNOC3 BLUE ECONOMY UNCTAD INTERVIEW
STORY: NICE / UNOC3 BLUE ECONOMY UNCTAD INTERVIEW
TRT: 05:37
SOURCE: UNIFEED / UNCTAD
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: SPANISH / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: PLEASE SEE SHOTLIST FOR DETAILS
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
1. Med shot, UNOC3 venue
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“The blue economy is a very important element for the survival, income, and opportunities for coastal communities to participate in international trade. But it’s also important because the blue economy has been growing in significance in global trade. Did you know? 80 percent of international trade happens through maritime transport. Therefore, this is a central element of the world economy, and we are here to advocate for a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.”
UNCTAD FILE - 03 JUNE 2017, THAILAND
3. Wide shot, fisherman working on fish boat
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
"What are the challenges we face with the blue economy? What’s happening? Well, first of all, geopolitics—because maritime trade is essential to global trade, and due to wars or geopolitical tensions, we sometimes experience disruptions in global supply chains.”
UNCTAD FILE - FEBRUARY 2017, MALTA
5. Close up, plastic bag floating in the Mediterranean Sea
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“What’s the second problem? The second issue is pollution—the contamination of the oceans, especially from plastic. That’s why we must support the international treaty currently being negotiated to limit plastic use and save the oceans.”
UNCTAD FILE - MAY 2023, CARIBBEAN SEA
7. Med shot, fish swimming
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“And the third important element? Climate change. Oceans play a fundamental role in capturing carbon dioxide. But as the planet warms, the oceans are also warming, and we are losing a lot of biodiversity. The oceans are suffering. That’s why building more resilient infrastructure and addressing climate change are essential to protect both the oceans and the blue economy.”
UNCTAD FILE - MARCH 2018, CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
9. Wide shot, dockers managing containers, port
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“Ocean trade has topped $2.2 trillion. That is 7% of global trade. So, it's not a footnote. It's a very important and growing economy for the developing countries and for the coastal communities. So, it's very important what we are doing here because oceans are under threat and if we don't do something urgently, we will lose a source of livelihoods, of sustainability, of carbon sequestration that is vital for humans life.”
UNCTAD FILE - APRIL 2022, SAN ANDRÉS ISLAND, COLOMBIA
11. Drone shot, port, fishboats
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“What we have seen is a Huge and very dynamic growth of the blue economy. Let me give you an example. Seaweed is very important for coastal communities because it's really a source of livelihood, of jobs, of income. And seaweed is now 50 percent of the whole aquaculture sector. Can you imagine? 50 percent is already seaweed activity. And it's done mainly by home, by women. So, this is very important for the communities, for the fisheries communities that they can diversify. And you see with not only for food, but also for industrial products, for substitute of plastic that is a huge challenge of pollution.”
UNCTAD FILE - AUGUST 2016, CARIBBEAN SEA
13. Close up, Seaweed and clownfish (Amphiprioninae species) swimming among corals
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“If we can bring together science, innovation, and finance with a legal framework, we can really take advantage and make the promise of the ocean a reality for the global economy and for the coastal community.”
UNCTAD FILE - APRIL 2022, SAN ANDRÉS ISLAND, COLOMBIA
15. Drone shot, port, fishboats
12 JUNE 2025, NICE, FRANCE
16. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
"I call on countries and the private sector to take care of the ocean, so that we can harness its economic opportunities in a sustainable way—and thus truly help communities and countries build a more dynamic, more inclusive, and more sustainable economy. We need the private sector, but we need a private sector that operates according to principles that make the blue economy sustainable.”
UNCTAD FILE - MARCH 2022, PACIFIC OCEAN
17. wide shot, container ship navigating in ocean.
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) chief called on countries and the private sector to “take care of the ocean, so that we can harness its economic opportunities in a sustainable way.”
In an UNifeed interview in occasion of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said,“The blue economy is a very important element for the survival, income, and opportunities for coastal communities to participate in international trade. But it’s also important because the blue economy has been growing in significance in global trade. Did you know? 80 percent of international trade happens through maritime transport. Therefore, this is a central element of the world economy, and we are here to advocate for a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.”
She asked, "What are the challenges we face with the blue economy? What’s happening? Well, first of all, geopolitics—because maritime trade is essential to global trade, and due to wars or geopolitical tensions, we sometimes experience disruptions in global supply chains.”
She continued, “The second issue is pollution—the contamination of the oceans, especially from plastic. That’s why we must support the international treaty currently being negotiated to limit plastic use and save the oceans.”
“And the third important element? Climate change. Oceans play a fundamental role in capturing carbon dioxide. But as the planet warms, the oceans are also warming, and we are losing a lot of biodiversity. The oceans are suffering. That’s why building more resilient infrastructure and addressing climate change are essential to protect both the oceans and the blue economy.”
She stressed, “Ocean trade has topped $2.2 trillion. That is 7 percent of global trade. So, it's not a footnote. It's a very important and growing economy for the developing countries and for the coastal communities. So, it's very important what we are doing here because oceans are under threat and if we don't do something urgently, we will lose a source of livelihoods, of sustainability, of carbon sequestration that is vital for humans life.”
She said, “What we have seen is a huge and very dynamic growth of the blue economy. Let me give you an example. Seaweed is very important for coastal communities because it's really a source of livelihood, of jobs, of income. And seaweed is now 50 percent of the whole aquaculture sector. Can you imagine? 50 percent is already seaweed activity. And it's done mainly by home, by women. So, this is very important for the communities, for the fisheries communities that they can diversify. And you see with not only for food, but also for industrial products, for substitute of plastic that is a huge challenge of pollution.”
She highlighted, “If we can bring together science, innovation, and finance with a legal framework, we can really take advantage and make the promise of the ocean a reality for the global economy and for the coastal community.”
She concluded, "I call on countries and the private sector to take care of the ocean, so that we can harness its economic opportunities in a sustainable way—and thus truly help communities and countries build a more dynamic, more inclusive, and more sustainable economy. We need the private sector, but we need a private sector that operates according to principles that make the blue economy sustainable.”
