Introduction
At the high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) - The Ocean Conference - held in June 2017 at UN headquarters in New York, close to 1,400 voluntary commitments for concrete action to advance implementation of SDG 14 were made by governments, the United Nations system, civil society organizations, academia, the scientific community, and the private sector. These commitments, together with the Conference outcome document Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action, mark a global breakthrough on the path to sustainable management and conservation of our oceans, seas and marine resources.
Each of the Ocean Conference voluntary commitments addresses one or several of the SDG 14 targets, often with associated positive impact on other SDGs, including for example SDG 3 on good health and well-being and SDG13 on climate action, among others.
To follow-up on the implementation of these voluntary commitments; to catalyze and generate new voluntary commitments; and to facilitate collaboration and networking amongst different actors in support of SDG 14, the United Nations have launched nine thematic multi-stakeholder Communities of Ocean Action.
Each community is coordinated by designated focal points who work together with United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in carrying out the activities.
The nine Communities of Ocean Action are:
- Coral reefs
- Implementation of international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
- Mangroves
- Marine and coastal ecosystems management
- Marine pollution
- Ocean acidification
- Scientific knowledge, research capacity development and transfer of marine technology
- Sustainable blue economy
- Sustainable fisheries
Flyer -
"What are the Communities of Ocean Action?"
Join Communities of Ocean Action
All stakeholders with registered voluntary commitments, either at the Conference or subsequently, may join any of the Communities of Ocean Action to stay informed and take part in supporting activities, including workshops, webinars, expert discussions and networking.
Share progress of your voluntary commitments
All stakeholders with registered voluntary commitments are encouraged to regularly share progress of their voluntary commitments by submitting an update through the dedicated Communities of Ocean Action pages.
Launch of Communities of Ocean Action, 27-30 November 2017
The nine new thematic multi-stakeholder Communities of Ocean Action were launched during a series of webinars held from 27-30 November. The Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson, designated focal points for each community that have been drawn from the UN system and civil society/scientific and technological community, and over 200 relevant stakeholders participated in the launch events.
"These Communities of Ocean Action are being launched to keep up us all true to the great momentum gained at The Ocean Conference in June. They will ensure we follow through on our collective commitment to reverse the cycle of decline in which the Ocean has been caught. I look forward to working closely with all Communities of Ocean Action to achieve SDG 14's implementation."
