Despite the ocean’s vital role in regulating the global climate and supporting food security and livelihoods, it receives less political attention and investment than land-based systems. The Our Ocean Conference was established to generate ambitious, tangible solutions to ocean challenges and elevate ocean issues on the international agenda. The conference provides a dedicated platform for leaders to make concrete commitments to action and tracks their implementation each year, fostering accountability. Since its launch in 2014, the conference has helped mobilize thousands of commitments and billions of dollars for ocean action.

The Our Ocean Conference brings together high-level government officials, businesses, civil society, scientists, communities and ocean leaders to raise global ambition and mobilize ocean action, partnerships and investment. Through its voluntary commitment model, the conference provides an ongoing opportunity for countries and organizations to identify priorities, mobilize needed resources, share solutions and demonstrate progress toward a healthier and more sustainable ocean.

The Our Ocean Conference was launched in 2014 to accelerate practical ocean action and raise political ambition to tackle the most pressing issues facing the ocean. Over more than a decade, it has developed into a major platform for mobilizing voluntary commitments and finance across six areas: ocean-climate action, marine pollution, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, sustainable blue economy and maritime security.

Voluntary commitments drive measurable ocean action, encourage cooperation between countries and organizations and support the goals of global agreements such as the High Seas Treaty and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Secretariat, based at WRI, tracks commitments and investment and monitors their implementation over time. This published research strengthens the transparency and accountability of pledges made at the conference. 

Recent evidence demonstrates the scale and durability of this approach:

  • As of 2026, the conference has generated more than 3,200 commitments worth over $176 billion across all ocean basins and world regions.
  • Within the first 10 years of the conference, 81% of commitments were either completed or in progress, including an estimated $23.8 billion in delivered funds.
  • The 2026 conference saw over 100 governments, businesses and civil society organizations announce 370 new commitments valued at $7.5 billion to advance ocean conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience and the blue economy.
  • The Our Ocean Conference Secretariat was created in 2024 to track commitments, deliver progress assessments and support host governments in delivering a consistent conference, creating an institutional mechanism to understand what happens after each conference and preserve continuity.
  • The 11th Our Ocean Conference, held in Mombasa, Kenya, marked the first time the conference was hosted in Africa, further broadening participation and highlighting African leadership on ocean governance.

The conference’s value lies in providing a recurring, globally recognized action point for delivering ocean solutions, mobilizing political and financial attention and following up on governments’ commitments through implementation, transparency and accountability assessments.