UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will be part of an entire Ocean Decade Week in Barcelona that will run from 8 to 12 April 2024. The official Conference will run for three days from 10 to 12 April at the Barcelona International Convention Centre. Hosted by Spain and co-organized with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), this international event will bring together various actors, including governments, decision-makers, maritime sectors, philanthropy, academia, the private sector, and civil society.

Based on the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges, the Conference will be collaborative, inclusive, and interactive in nature to offer participants time and space for learning, networking, and building partnerships. It will provide a forum to discuss the results of the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 strategic ambition-setting process around the Decade Challenges, and its related set of white papers. These papers will identify future priorities for the Ocean Decade to generate the knowledge needed for science-based solutions to global challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards.

The Conference will be structured around three key moments:

• The high-level opening session (10 April in the morning) will feature commitments and announcements by Heads of State, leaders of UN agencies, and representatives of industry and philanthropy, as well as a plenary discussion on foundational elements of success for the Ocean Decade.
• The main part of the Conference will be articulated around four thematic sessions based on groupings of the Ocean Decade Challenges, with a mix of plenary and parallel sessions to present the results of the Vision 2030 process and showcase science solutions that are contributing to sustainable development.
• The high-level closing session (12 April in the afternoon) will focus on resources and partnerships in the Ocean Decade as well as provide a platform for partner announcements. The closing segment will report the main outcomes of the Conference and a vision to 2030 for the Ocean Decade.