450 primary and secondary school students from the Nice metropolitan area and Mediterranean countries presented their proposals for ocean protection, ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference, which will be held in Nice next June.
On Monday, May 12, at the Mediterranean University Center, Nice and Turkish students via video conference offered a lesson in civic engagement. First, they debated and voted on their favorite project. Then, in the second part, Richard Chemla joined them via video conference to hear their proposals. They were able to present the results of work conducted throughout the year as part of the project “Les Accords de Nice Juniors.”
Supported by a call for projects named “Cap sur l’année de la mer!”, this ambitious educational initiative allowed young people to fully engage with the issues of ecological transition and marine biodiversity protection.
Twelve Concrete Proposals by the Children
The children formulated 12 proposals, all stemming from participatory workshops. Each student was able to vote for their favorite proposal and share their memorable moment of the day. An exercise that reinforced a simple truth: environmental education is essential for a sustainable future.
Among them, the creation of positions for sea guardians, meaning having a patrol with one objective: to protect the sea. This already exists, but the children felt their number should be increased to provide more prevention.
Other proposals address simple yet concrete actions, such as adding timers or motion sensors to reduce energy waste.
At Collège Ségurane, students notably proposed the introduction of eco-delegates in charge of waste sorting. At Acacias School, a 4th grade student wondered: “Could we have green roofs in schools?” A question that was directly relayed to Richard Chemla.
He provided some insights, noting that these old roofs were not designed for this purpose, but in the near future, implementation would be possible, particularly by installing solar panels or greenery. Nevertheless, the feasibility of green roofs faces “some initial obstacles,” according to the deputy mayor, but he showed openness to experimentation.
He praised “the remarkable involvement of teachers, facilitators, and children”, while promising that “these ideas will be seen, heard, and then passed on to the relevant officials.” He encouraged facilitators to bring forward the most technical requests.
Richard Chemla: “You Are the Ocean of Tomorrow”
The students’ report will be officially presented at the UNOC 2025 next June. The young participants suggested strengthening the monitoring of marine protected areas, increasing fines for biodiversity violations, possibly banning the sale of protected species, even if accidentally caught, and tightening laws concerning the dumping of protected or endangered species into the sea.
Delphine, an active figure in the organization, expressed her gratitude to the educational teams for “their essential involvement in the successful completion of this project.”
Another original idea: the creation of a diver agent profession responsible for cleaning the seabed. This initiative was praised, although it already partially exists through municipal calls for tenders and volunteer actions.
Richard Chemla concluded with a strong, committed speech to the young people: “You are the ocean of tomorrow. The sea is yours. Your future is yours.”
