{"id":56626,"date":"2025-06-10T14:43:51","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plasticodyssey.org\/unesco-partnership\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T11:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:19:18","slug":"unesco-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plasticodyssey.org\/en\/unesco-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO Join Forces to Restore Marine World Heritage Sites"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”center” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” row_negative_margin=”disable_negative_margin” z_index=”” el_class=”headpage_article”][vc_column el_class=”toptobottom”][vc_column_text css=””]Plastic pollution is on the rise\u2014and even the world\u2019s most protected marine ecosystems are not immune. On the occasion of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO announce a landmark collaboration to clean up and restore the 50 UNESCO marine World Heritage sites. This initiative also receives support from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.[\/vc_column_text]<\/a><\/span>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” z_index=”” anchor=”more” el_class=”article_content” padding_bottom=”40″ padding_top=”20″][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1749648047000{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

A Landmark Collaboration<\/h2>\n

The cooperation agreement between Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO, signed this Tuesday, June 10, 2025, aims to replicate the operation carried out on Henderson Island<\/a> at other marine World Heritage sites\u2014among the most inaccessible and fragile on the planet. Each mission will focus on removing waste, collecting scientific data, developing educational programs, and establishing sustainable, income-generating waste-management chains.<\/p>\n

In the Whale Hall at UNOC in Nice, Audrey Azoulay opened her speech with a strong message of support for Plastic Odyssey, whose work she has followed for several years:[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”mt2 sk_box_grey p2″]”Thanks to this new partnership, Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO will act together to reduce plastic pollution in marine World Heritage sites. During these expeditions, we will also support the creation of recycling channels that benefit local and indigenous communities<\/em>” \u2013 Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”pb1″]<\/p>\n

Watch the official announcement video<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1087692915?h=fbf5f9c0d4&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479″ css=””][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”mt2″]The collaboration is also backed by France: Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs<\/strong>, attended the signing ceremony and co-signed a symbolic panel marking the partnership.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1749648998388{margin-top: -10px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Charting the Course Ahead<\/h2>\n

In 2024, Plastic Odyssey carried out an unprecedented cleanup on Henderson Island, an UNESCO-listed marine World Heritage site in the South Pacific, collecting 9.3 metric tons of waste for processing. That mission sparked the birth of this new partnership.<\/p>\n

Other sites are under growing pressure\u2014such as Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, where the next on-the-ground mission is slated and where more than 500 metric tons of plastic are estimated<\/strong>. In October 2025, a Plastic Odyssey team, supported by UNESCO staff, will travel there for a scouting and test phase: precise mapping of waste deposits, trials of extraction methods, and development of scientific monitoring protocols. This pilot campaign will lay the groundwork for larger-scale operations beginning in 2026.[\/vc_column_text]Learn more<\/a>[vc_single_image image=”56615″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”mt2 sk_box_grey p2″]“This marks a turning point in the fight against ocean plastic. For the first time, we\u2019re teaming up with UNESCO to launch unprecedented cleanup missions in some of the most remote and fragile marine sanctuaries on Earth. These sites are ecological treasures\u2014and plastic traps. It\u2019s time to bring global attention and resources to places the world can\u2019t afford to ignore.”<\/em> \u2014 Simon Bernard, co-founder & President, Plastic Odyssey<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”center” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” z_index=”” el_class=”blog_content”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

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