The seventh Our Ocean Conference generated 410 commitments worth USD 16.35 billion across the issue areas of climate change, sustainable fisheries, sustainable blue economies, marine protected areas, maritime security, and marine pollution. Convening in a small island developing State (SIDS) for the first time, the conference underscored the critical importance of a healthy ocean to SIDS and to Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) who rely on the ocean as a primary source of sustenance.
Co-hosted by Palau and the US, the conference addressed the theme, ‘Our Ocean, Our People, Our Prosperity.’ It brought together more than 600 representatives from governments, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, academia, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The conference featured panels on six areas of action. The panel on ‘Creating Sustainable Blue Economies’ focused on “blue recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic towards ocean economies that are sustainable, equitable, and resilient, and explored opportunities for a “blue stimulus.” A total of 89 commitments worth USD 5.7 billion were made for sustainable blue economies – the largest amount of all action areas.
The conference also recognized the role of Indigenous and youth leadership in protecting the ocean. “Our ancestral life-giving ocean is the world’s last, and greatest, defense against climate change,” stated youth delegate Kalani Reyes, founder of Deep Pacific Collective of Pacific Peoples. “We must work together, across generations to protect the ocean.”
Our Ocean Conference 2022 contributed to the advancement of multiple SDGs, most notably SDG 14 (life below water), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). SDG 14 is one of the five Goals that the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will review progress on in July.