The ocean plays a key role in human existence; it is essential for our survival and prosperity. Alas, the health of seas and the ocean, and of marine ecosystems in particular, is threatened by unsustainable practices. For the Hellenic Republic, maritime security constitutes a pivotal priority for the country itself and for its candidacy for the United Nations Security Council for the period 2025/26.
Hence the 9th Our Ocean Conference, scheduled to take place in Athens, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, on April 15-17, 2024.
For the ninth iteration of the Conference, the six areas of action will be: marine protected areas, marine pollution, maritime security, sustainable fisheries, sustainable blue economies and climate change. The focus areas identified by Greece will include: sustainable tourism, green shipping, plastic pollution, as well as the green transition in the Mediterranean.
The Our Ocean Conference was first launched under the initiative of the U.S. Department of State in 2014. Since then, it has gradually become a forum for dialogue that brings together governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector, and NGOs that share a common vision for the protection of the oceans and act to support it.
So save the date and visit the website ourocean2024.gov.gr to learn more about the 9th Our Ocean Conference and how we can all help the oceans get a clean slate!
Meet Ambassador Peter Thompson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean: