International standards for Marine Protected Areas
IUCN French Committee (UICN-CF)
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#OceanAction57801
Description
The Global Biodiversity Framework sets the objective to protect and conserve at least 30% of the planet through an effective and well-connected system of protected and conserved areas by 2030 (Target 3). The European Biodiversity Strategy also aims by 2030 to build a coherent network of protected areas covering 30% of the land and 30% of the seas of the European Union, with at least one third of this network under strict protection status according to the criteria of IUCN protected area categories I and II. France has also committed to these objectives through its national strategy for Protected Areas by 2030, aiming to protect at least 30% of French lands and seas, including 10% under strong protection. To measure the achievement of these commitments, France is invited to report information on its network of protected and conserved areas to the European Common Database on Designated Areas and the World Database on Protected Areas (CDDA and WDPA respectively), evaluated based on the IUCN protected area categories system. Today according to the WDPA, 33.2% of French protected areas do not have an assigned IUCN category, and some reported assignments appear to be erroneous. This is demonstrated by the discrepancies observed between the surface coverage indicators in protected areas calculated at the national level, and the data displayed in the WDPA. Analysis of the current network of French protected areas shows that assigning IUCN categories by zoning within protected areas should be carried out to make reporting more representative. In addition, it is necessary to update existing frameworks in France in line with the evolution of best practice for assigning IUCN protected area categories. This work of standardizing MPA evaluation and protection levels to ensure efficacy will take place throughout 2025 during the French “Year of the Sea”, promoting initial pre-assignment of IUCN categories at the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2025, followed by presenting results at the World Conservation Congress and the International Marine Protected Area Congress. This Voluntary Ocean Commitment raises support for the use of international standards for effective MPA conservation, and will contribute to encouraging France in setting ambitious policies for marine protection. Commitment objectives: • Propose a process for applying IUCN protected area categories to MPAs, as a national standard and on a case-by-case basis depending on the criteria to be met, for the network of French MPAs. • Develop an IUCN protected area category assignment and evaluation database based on the latest IUCN publications, for a representative set of the different statuses of marine protected areas on the metropolitan coasts.
A Rocha France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Alliance pour la préservation des forêts (Civil society organization) Association Beauval Nature pour la Conservation et la Recherche (ABNCR) (Civil society organization) Association des Amis de la Forêt de Fontainebleau (Civil society organization) Association des Naturalistes de la Vallée du Loing et du massif de Fontainebleau (ANVL) (Civil society organization) Association Française des Parcs Zoologiques (AFdPZ) (Civil society organization) Association pour la protection des animaux sauvages (ASPAS) (Civil society organization) Bioparc Conservation (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) (Academic institution) Centre de découverte mer & montagne (CDMM) (Scientific community) Centre international de droit comparé de l’environnement (CIDCE) (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Conseil départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône (Local / Regional Government) Conseil Régional d’Ile-de-France (Local / Regional Government) Conseil régional Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur (Local / Regional Government) Conservatoire du Littoral (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Conservatoire pour la Protection des Primates (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Les Eco Maires (Civil society organization) Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE) (Private sector) Fédération des Conservatoires d’Espaces Naturels (Civil society organization) Fédération des Parcs Naturels Régionaux de France (Civil society organization) Fédération Française d’Etudes et de Sports Sous-Marins (Civil society organization) Fédération Française de Spéléologie (FFS) (Civil society organization) Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM) (Civil society organization) Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs (Civil society organization) Fondation Biotope pour la biodiversité (Philanthropic organization) Fondation François Sommer (Philanthropic organization) Fondation Goodplanet (Philanthropic organization) Fondation Nature et Découvertes (Philanthropic organization) Fondation pour la Nature et l’Homme (Philanthropic organization) Fondation Tour du Valat (Philanthropic organization) Fondation Yves Rocher – Institut de France (Philanthropic organization) Fonds International pour la protection des animaux (IFAW) – France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) France Nature Environnement (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) FSC France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) GLOBICE – Groupe Local d’Observation et d’Identification des Cétacés de la Réunion (Scientific community) Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (Government) Humanité et Biodiversité (Scientific community) HUTAN (Scientific community) Initiatives pour l’Avenir des Grands Fleuves (Scientific community) Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’alimentation et l’Environnement (Academic institution) Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Academic institution) Jane Goodall Institute France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Kwata (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) LPO France – Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Métropole Aix Marseille Provence – Direction des sites et espaces naturels (Local / Regional Government) Ministère de la Transition Ecologique et de la Cohésion des Territoires (Government) Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Étrangères (Government) Miraceti (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Academic institution) Nausicaa (Scientific community) Noé (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Océanopolis (Scientific community) Office français pour la biodiversité (Government) Office National des Forêts (Government) Office Pour les Insectes et leur Environnement (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Oiseaux Migrateurs du Paléarctique Occidental (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Païolive (Civil society organization) Panthera France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Partenariat Français pour l’Eau (PPE) (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Planète Urgence (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Play for Nature (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Pollinis (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) PRO-NATURA International (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) RASTOMA France (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Réseau des Grands Sites de France (Local / Regional Government) Réserves Naturelles de France (Local / Regional Government) Respect Ocean (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Société Française pour le Droit de l’Environnement (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) SOS Faune Sauvage (Scientific community) Te mana o te moana (Scientific community) Turtle Sanctuary (Scientific community) Union Professionnelle du Génie Ecologique (Scientific community) Under the Pole (Non-governmental organization (NGO)) Ville de Fontainebleau (Local / Regional Government) Ville de Marseille (Local / Regional Government) Ville de Paris (Local / Regional Government) WWF France (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
SDGS & Targets
Goal 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.3.1
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.4.1
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.5.1
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
14.a.1
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 14.1 | By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution |
| 14.2 | By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans |
| 14.3 | Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels |
| 14.4 | By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics |
| 14.5 | By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information |
| 14.6 | By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation |
| 14.7 | By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism |
| 14.a | Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries |
| 14.b | Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets |
| 14.c | Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want" |
Deliverables & Timeline
Pre-assignment of IUCN protected area categories for French MPAs
Valorization of results at IMPAC6
Creation of an MPA taskforce within IUCN
Revision of the IUCN guidelines for MPA
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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Timeline
Entity
SDGs
Other beneficiaries
IUCN International
Ocean Basins
Communities of Ocean Action
More information
Countries
Headquarters
Contact Information
Jean-François, Marine biodiversity mission head