France's Macron welcomes world leaders on eve of UN summit on oceans

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted world leaders at the historic Hotel Negresco on Sunday evening ahead of the third United Nations Ocean Conference. The summit, inaugurated on Monday, brings together around 60 heads of state and thousands of delegates to tackle what organizers have called a global ocean “emergency.”

In remarks before the official dinner, Macron urged participants to deliver concrete action rather than repeat past promises, noting the unprecedented scale of the gathering. France plans to restrict bottom trawling in some marine protected areas and supports a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The summit aims to boost global momentum for ocean protection, though no binding deal is expected.