This year’s conference, held under the theme ‘Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future,’ gathers governments, civil society, and industry representatives from all around the world to support the heritage, cultures, and coastal communities shaped by the sea, while calling for a shared commitment to secure a resilient, just, and thriving ocean for future generations. The theme aligns with the Coastal Communities Strategy, recently adopted by the European Commission, which aims to balance environmental protection with economic and social sustainability in coastal regions.
EU funding is designed to enhance global ocean sustainability and maritime security through a series of targeted initiatives. These include strengthening the Global Ocean Observing System and improving evidence-based decision-making for marine policies via the Commission’s OceanEye initiative; boosting maritime security by addressing piracy and unsafe navigation in the Southern Red Sea, Horn of Africa, and Gulf of Aden; and advancing Africa’s sustainable ocean and coastal economy through investor-entrepreneur partnerships and the scaling of high-impact projects under BlueInvest Africa.
Additional measures financed by the EU will combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; support the implementation of the UN Ocean Conference’s Political Declaration; and promote sustainable coastal and marine resource management. The EU funds announced today will also tackle marine pollution—reducing plastics, chemicals, and nutrient runoff while restoring vulnerable ecosystems—as well as expand marine protected areas, deepen scientific understanding of deep-sea biodiversity, and reinforce global conservation targets.
The ocean covers 70.8 percent of the Earth’s surface and plays a vital role in regulating the climate, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining livelihoods. However, it faces tremendous pressures from global warming, overfishing, and habitat destruction.
The EU has consistently prioritized ocean protection through policies such as the European Ocean Pact and international cooperation. The Our Ocean Conference, launched in 2014, brings together governments, civil society, and industry to find joint solutions and present ambitious commitments to protect the ocean. To date, this platform has mobilized over 2,900 commitments worth approximately $169 billion to address marine challenges.
