Through the United Nations Association of France and the French Embassy in Norway, Valentin Brione has been working to strengthen international cooperation on marine conservation.
Valentin Brione, a member of the One Ocean Youth Panel, is France’s representative on the panel and is from Nice. He is studying international governance and diplomacy at Sciences Po in Paris, with the goal of becoming a French diplomat and influencing global ocean governance. With extensive work experience in multilateralism through the French National Commission for the United Nations and the French Embassy in Norway, Brione seeks to strengthen the One Ocean Youth Panel by restoring faith in international cooperation. He aims to promote international maritime law using contemporary tools to address today’s global challenges.
From a coastal town in southern France to a global advocate for the oceans
Growing up in Nice gave Brione a close connection to the ocean. As early as high school, he worked on projects related to ocean acidification and the conservation of seaweed species, which instilled in him a strong sense of responsibility for marine ecosystems from an early age. This background sparked a passion for ocean conservation that continues to drive his work in international politics today.
Today, he is driven by the desire to use diplomacy in international relations to promote the collective protection of the oceans. He has thoroughly explored this field through his previous projects with the French UN Association and the French Embassy in Norway.
Rooted in UNOC and the One Ocean Summit
The UN Ocean Conference recommends solutions in the areas of fisheries management, minority rights, social justice, and maritime security. Brione’s work with the French UN Association and the French Embassy in Norway explored how these recommendations could form the basis for a more ambitious form of international cooperation.
“These frameworks serve more as guidelines than as binding agreements,” explains Brione. As a result, many governments set them aside and act in their own interests.
His vision is to create more binding mechanisms through policy reforms addressing current issues.
A Changing World Needs Reformed Policies
– Countries share a fundamental interest in protecting the ocean because it provides some of the most important resources. International cooperation on marine conservation has been promising. However, the priorities of certain countries place marine conservation as a secondary concern, particularly because international law is based on the principle of voluntary participation. “My role in the One Ocean Youth Panel is to promote collective solutions that emphasize that agreements and calls to action (such as those in UNOC III) are in everyone’s best interest—they promote political stability and economic prosperity,” says Brione.
At the same time, he believes that the ocean, in particular, represents a unique opportunity for cooperation:
– This requires new tools and new policies that can modernize multilateralism and help create a U.N. system that is better equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
Participation in One Ocean Week with a powerful message – Collaboration is the key
The message he is bringing to this year's One Ocean Youth Panel is clear:
“Cooperation is still possible. It’s depressing to follow the news right now and see how the ocean is being destroyed, but there’s still hope. If we work together, we can still reduce future destruction,” says Brione.
Brione is currently devoting all her energy to preparing for the competitive exams to become a French diplomat, to have a stronger voice, and to directly implement marine conservation policies.
This hope and optimism stem from his deep connection to the oceans:
“The ocean is life, literally. You can’t ignore the ocean. It sustains life, supports livelihoods, and shapes cultures. Humans also evolved from the ocean, and that’s why the ocean deserves just as much respect as any other human being. There would be no Earth without the ocean, and this makes it obvious that we must protect it,” Brione concludes.
Facts about Valentin Brione:
- Country: France
- Field of Work: Governance and Diplomacy
- Role in the One Ocean Youth Panel: Member, French representative
- Background: International Relations and Diplomacy
- Institution: Sciences Po, Paris, France
- Field of Study: International Governance and Diplomacy
- Topics frequently discussed: Reform of international law and international cooperation
- Current: Studying for the competitive exams to become a French diplomat
