by Iffat Ara Sharmeen,
June 17, 2025
Friendship founder, Runa Khan led the Friendship delegation at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) 2025 in Nice, France, sharing proven solutions from the field that support the sustainable use of the ocean.
The Conference was held from 9 to 13 June, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. A plethora of leaders, intergovernmental organisations, development practitioners, financial institutions, civil society, philanthropists, scientific communities, private sector, indigenous groups, and other relevant stakeholders came together at the event. They explored challenges and solutions that help safeguard the ocean and its resources.
The Friendship Team
Runa Khan attended the event with Kazi Amdadul Hoque, Senior Director and Shakhawat Ferdous, Senior Programme Specialist. Chair of Friendship France William Lebedel joined her along with his team members Max Claron, Health and Environment Programme Manager and Anna Robyn, Project Manager (Education). HRH Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, Chair of Friendship Belgium was also part of the delegation.
Four youth delegates from Friendship Schools also graced the event to share their experiences of living in vulnerable communities.
Deltas of the World
On 9 June 2025, Runa joined a high-level summit panel session on the ‘Deltas of the World’ at The Whale Exhibition Center of the UNOC event. As rising seas and shifting climates threaten riverine and coastal communities in the Ganges basin in Bangladesh, she shared the various ways these communities sustainably manage and preserve vital ecosystems through the lens of Friendship. She commended their resilience and their capabilities in community-led adaptation and local stewardship.
Runa highlighted that true sustainability requires nature-based solutions with local communities at the heart of action. Other speakers include Hartwig Kremer PhD, Chief of Global Environment Facility (International Waters Unit) at the UN Environment Programme, Jaap Slootmaker, Director General at the Ministry of Infrastructures and Water Management Netherlands, and Jean-Marc Astorg, Chief Strategy Officer at the Centre National d’Études Spatiales.
Archipel: Protecting Coastal Communities
Friendship became a member of the Archipel exhibition at the UNOC this year, a platform by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Elyx Fondation. From 2 June to 13 June, Friendship’s work with coastal communities in Bangladesh was presented along with 13 other organisations at the AFD Pavillion through storytelling, art, and action. A special roundtable session as part of the exhibition was held on 10 June titled, ‘Resilience and Solidarity: Stories from Bangladesh.’
From Rivers to Oceans
On 10 June, the Friendship team attended a roundtable discussion titled ‘From Rivers to Oceans – Protecting Life, Inspiring Change’ at the La Baleine exhibition (Green Zone) of the UNOC event.
Speakers explored biodiversity restoration, local knowledge systems, natural carbon capture, and the transformative power of education, spanning regions from the Ganges Delta to the Amazon and the oceans. They emphasised the urgency of protecting ecosystems from threats like overfishing, deforestation, and pollution, while highlighting the vital role of indigenous and local communities in safeguarding biodiversity.
No SDG14 Without Mangroves
A roundtable discussion was held at the AFD Archipel Pavillion on 11 June, titled ‘Mangroves: Voices from the Field – NGO Perspectives’. Moderated by Planète Urgence, the session focused on community-based ecological mangrove restoration (CEBMR), and how nature can regenerate with enough care and proper conditions. Representatives from Wetlands International, UP2GREEN Reforestation, and CARE France provided their recommendations in the session. Max Claron, Health and Environment Programme Manager at Friendship France, shared insights and lessons from Friendship’s work in Bangladesh.
The UN Ocean Conference 2025 became a resounding platform for global voices to collectively work on protecting the oceans and their riches. Friendship’s active participation reinforced its commitment to climate resilience, community empowerment, and sustainable ocean management. By sharing field-tested solutions and amplifying local voices, Friendship contributed to the global dialogue for oceans.
