On Thursday, November 30, 2023, the French Institute in Cotonou hosted a conference on maritime issues in Benin. It was an opportunity for Benin to begin its march towards the United Nations Ocean Conference, which is scheduled for June 2025 in Nice, France

The conference on maritime issues in Benin, which was held last week, brought together personalities recognized in their field of expertise, from institutional, academic, economic and civil society bodies. The intention is to go to the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2025 with a clear idea about maritime issues. On the occasion of the Cotonou conference, three round tables were held and made it possible to discuss in turn ecological maritime issues in Benin, economic issues and organizational issues. According to Marc Vizy, French Ambassador to Benin, United Nations estimates show that “more than three billion people depend on the oceans. France has made the protection of the oceans an essential axis of its diplomacy.”