Nice, France – 9-13 June 2025
This June, as the global ocean community gathered in Nice for the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) marked a milestone week—celebrating World Oceans Day, launching two strategic initiatives, and deepening its partnerships across maritime safety, science, and philanthropy.
World Oceans Day: Wonder with Safety
On 8 June, prior to the formal start of UNOC, World Oceans Day set the tone for the week by calling global attention to the theme “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.” For IFAN, this theme underscored a core belief: that the ocean’s beauty and power are matched by its vulnerability. IFAN works to protect that wonder by supporting safer and more sustainable navigation—whether through the installation of buoys and beacons, the funding of technical assessments, or the delivery of training for maritime professionals around the world.
IFAN used the global moment in Nice to call on fellow stakeholders to recognize safe maritime operations as a critical part of ocean conservation. As highlighted throughout theconference week: safe navigation is ocean conservation—when it’s done with care.
Innovating to match ocean action with funding
On 10 June, IFAN helped launch Ocean Matcher, an AI-powered platform that is changing the way funders connect with high-impact ocean science and innovation. Built in collaboration with peer philanthropies and technical institutions, Ocean Matcher uses smart algorithms to match the right proposals with the right funders—faster, smarter, and with greater alignment to global priorities. The tool directly responds to one of the most urgent Ocean Decade challenges: channeling funding where it matters most. By investing in Ocean Matcher, IFAN extends its commitment beyond maritime infrastructure to the digital tools shaping the ocean’s future.
Navigating with Care
The following day, 11 June, IFAN officially launched Navigate with Care: Protect Our Oceans—a global campaign co-developed with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.
Speaking at the Ocean Decade Forum, IFAN’s Development Manager Francesca Pradelli presented the campaign and called on mariners, conservationists, and policymakers to take simple, proactive steps to protect sensitive ecosystems like coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests.
“Safe and sustainable navigation practices are no longer optional,” she said. “They’re key to saving countless marine environments, and their species. And one of that species is us.”
The campaign originated during the Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue in Rio de Janeiro in September 2024, where IFAN and KSLOF discovered shared ground between maritime safety and marine protection. That dialogue sparked Navigate with Care, an official Ocean Decade Activity that promotes everyday practices—like using Aids to Navigation (AtoNs), switching from anchors to mooring buoys, slowing down in sensitive areas, and respecting marine protected zones.
With educational webinars, outreach tools, and regionally adapted content on the way, the campaign is already growing into a global resource for navigators and coastal communities alike.
Throughout the week, IFAN also met with dozens of organizations across the ocean space—deepening existing partnerships and opening doors to new collaborations. From the World Maritime University and UNESCO IOC, to the Pacific Community (SPC), INOCAR, IUCN, Blue Marine Foundation, Fundación MarViva, SMILO, BlueMissionMed, and Wildlife Justice Commission, the exchanges were dynamic and productive. IFAN also connected with fellow philanthropic institutions through the Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue, strengthening the joint commitment to innovation, impact, and equity in ocean solutions.
Reflecting on the week’s meetings, Francesca Pradelli shared:
“The attendance of UNOC was a key happening for IFAN: we had the chance to meet some of the partners we already collaborate with, and we also started interesting discussions with new potential ones. The ideas shared encompassed new impactful opportunities in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea—combining the safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment, which are IFAN’s core objectives.”
Following UNOC, IFAN moves forward more connected, more committed, and more inspired than ever, focused on marking a safe, sustainable course for the ocean we all share.
Get involved – IFAN can fund your project
If you’re developing a project that aligns with IFAN’s mission—whether on navigation, ocean literacy, or marine protection—we want to hear from you! Submit your proposal here.
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About IFAN:
The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing maritime safety, protecting marine ecosystems, and strengthening global navigation capabilities. IFAN ensures safer and more efficient shipping routes while minimizing environmental risks by supporting projects focused on enhancing Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) frameworks, developing technical expertise, and providing AtoN infrastructure. Through strategic partnerships, funding, and technical expertise, IFAN plays a pivotal role in securing safe, sustainable global waterways and safeguarding the world’s ocean for future generations.