ENSM at the heart of the UNOC
As part of the Year of the Sea and its extension, ‘La Mer en Commun’, which began on 1 January 2025, ENSM is fully committed to the initiative, positioning itself as a player in maritime training, but also as an active partner in promoting the sector. As part of this commitment, the ENSM will continue to promote the maritime professions and know-how to young people and the general public during the UNOC, from 9 to 13 June.
In line with the strategy set out in the 2023/2027 Objectives and Performance Contract and the issues at stake at the Fontenoy Maritime Festival, ENSM is continuing to raise awareness of the maritime industry, drawing on its network of students, staff, lecturers, part-time employees, graduates and partners across its 4 sites.
Responding to the UNOC :
The ENSM and its delegation of students, teachers and management were present throughout the UNOC, the highlight of this Year of the Sea.
The 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) was co-organised by the governments of France and Costa Rica, bringing together all the member states of the United Nations, their heads of state and government, civil society, the private sector and others. This year’s theme was ‘Accelerating action and mobilising all stakeholders to conserve and sustainably use the oceans’.
The Ecole Polytechnique was represented not only through conferences, but also through speeches and outreach activities organised by the Ecole Polytechnique under the aegis of the French Ministry for the Sea.
Opening of the UNOC
The École nationale supérieure maritime was honoured to take part in the visit to the Whale by the President of the Republic, in the presence of a host of VIPs.
It was a privilege for the fifteen or so students and the ENSM staff delegation to meet Emmanuel Macron.
In just a few words, sometimes a few more, the first-year ENSM students in Marseille were able to talk about their careers, their aspirations and their views on the oceans in the context of this summit.
All this was organised thanks to Olivier Poivre d’Arvor’s team, Agnès Saal in particular, and Salomé Sifaoui, who wanted to include ENSM students in this event. But also to Eric BANEL and his team for their benevolent commitment to the School and the exchanges that took place, which illustrate its importance in public policy on the sea.
Testimonials from UNOC students
“My name is Imrân AOUNI. I trained at the Lycée Maritime de Bastia, where I obtained a vocational baccalaureate, followed by a BTS in Fishing and Marine Environment Management (PGEM) at the Lycée Maritime de Boulogne sur Mer. I then entered the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime, where I successfully obtained the Diplôme d’Officier Chef de Quart Passerelle Illimité as well as the Diplôme de Capitaine 3000.
I’ve sailed in the Mediterranean, the Pas-de-Calais Strait, Alaska and British Columbia.
Today I’m lucky enough to be taking part as an observer in the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025), a historic event being held in my home town of Nice. This conference, marked in particular by the Nice agreements on the oceans, represents a crucial moment for the future of the sea.
It’s an honour to be able to take part, in line with my background and my attachment to the sea.”
“Every day my tasks as a volunteer are different. On Tuesday, I was the link between the translators and the meetings organisation department. On Wednesday, I was in the plenary session with the secretariat of the same department. My role was to help the delegations to make sure that their declarations went smoothly and that the translations were done. Yesterday, I was responsible for listing the speakers and checking the organisation of the speeches.
Arthur adds: “I volunteered so that I could observe, and to some extent take part in, the decisions that are going to be taken and that will have an impact on us in the near future.
It helps me to understand the negotiation process and international legislation. It also allows me to meet volunteers from all over France. And I’m also able to talk to delegations from all over the world. As a result, I have crossed paths with major international leaders such as our President Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.
As the Conference has an international dimension, Arthur says: ‘Being able to talk to people from all over the world helps my English a lot”.