CFAs: UN Ocean Conference Fellowships 2025

The next UN Ocean Conference, scheduled to be held in Nice, France, from June 9-13, 2025, will be a vital inflection point to accelerate progress on the conservation and sustainable management of the ocean.

These summits are focused on supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14), which is to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

Although nearly 3 billion people rely on the ocean for their primary source of protein, and millions worldwide depend on coastal and marine ecosystems for their livelihoods, many of the decisions and action plans made to protect the ocean are decided between government officials, at such high-level conferences which are not accessible to the public.

It is only through trusted, transparent and accessible journalism that such important coverage can set sail and reach vulnerable communities in every continent.

Costs Covered

• EJN will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to fellowship participation.
• Organizers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip.
• Please note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the fellow’s responsibility, though EJN will reimburse visa costs.
• Fellows will also receive a per diem to cover daily expenses during their time in Nice.
• Journalists awarded fellowships are responsible for their own safety during travel, and for ensuring that they meet all requirements for travel and attendance.

Schedule

• Fellows will travel to Nice, France to attend the entire duration of the UN Ocean Conference negotiations, which will take place from June 9-13, with arrival planned for 7 June, and departure on 14 June.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for the fellowship, the applicant must:
  • Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from any country with a coast. Applicants from countries in the Mediterranean region and low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged to apply.

Judging Criteria

• They are looking for applicants who meet the following criteria:
  • Demonstrated experience covering marine issues and other environmental topics;
  • Long-term commitment to the field of journalism and in continuing to report on these topics;
  • A relationship with an established media house and possession of a signed letter of support from an editor/producer/supervisor agreeing to publish or broadcast any work produced during the fellowship.

Application Requirements

• Have previous experience reporting on ocean issues (examples include threats to the ocean such as, IIU fishing, the impacts of algal bloom, acidification and pollution as well as innovative and actionable solutions to protect the ocean, such as technological advances to monitor ocean crimes, new multilateral agreements such as the Plastics treaty and High Seas treaty, funding mechanisms such as blue bonds, and policy measures such as Marine Protected Areas, fishing quotas, etc.
• Clearly indicate the kinds of stories they will seek to pursue while covering the conference.
• Be available for the conference in Nice from 9 until 13 June 2025, arriving on 7 June and departing on 14 June.
• Have a good command of the English language.
• Share an up-to-date resume/CV.
• Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer, or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply but must provide a letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report.
• Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples which focus on ocean issues (preferably covering ocean governance/policies related to marine protection). These can be uploaded as documents or web links. Stories can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis. Stories must have clear bylines and should have been published in the last 12 months.
• For the purposes of this opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time.
• Applicants must be able to participate fully in an English-language fellowship to be awarded.

For more information, visit EJN.