Speaker — Neptune Forum 2026
Olivier Poivre d’Arvor
Ambassadeur chargé des Pôles et des Enjeux maritimes, Envoyé spécial du Président de la République pour la Conférence Océan des Nations Unies
Ambassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic to the United Nations Ocean Conference
Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, France
A philosopher by training, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor is a French writer and diplomat. From 1997 to 2010 he headed the Association française d'action artistique (AFAA), then ran the radio station France Culture from 2010 to 2015. As a diplomat he served in Egypt, Czechoslovakia and the United Kingdom, and as France's Ambassador to Tunisia. Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Affairs since 2020, he was appointed Special Envoy of the President of the Republic for the third United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Nice in 2025. He also chairs the Musée national de la Marine, the Corderie Royale and the Marathon des Mots, which he founded in Toulouse in 2005.
On the Neptune Forum 2026 programme
- 8.45amFirst anniversary of UNOC-3: assessment and outlook for Blue DiplomacyRound table 1 — Governing the Ocean: an integrated approach to the water column, from the abyss to the high seasAmbassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic to the United Nations Ocean ConferenceSee in the programme
- 8.30am - 10amFirst anniversary of UNOC-3: assessment and outlook for Blue DiplomacyBlue diplomacyAmbassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic to the United Nations Ocean ConferenceSee in the programme
- 9.25amFirst anniversary of UNOC-3: assessment and outlook for Blue DiplomacyRound table 2 — Cooperation and science in the service of cleaning up maritime spacesAmbassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic to the United Nations Ocean ConferenceSee in the programme
- 2pm - 6.30pmExploration and knowledge as the foundation of cooperation for Planet OceanAmbassador for the Ocean and the Poles, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic to the United Nations Ocean ConferenceSee in the programme
