The seventh Our Ocean Conference (OOC) took place earlier this month in Palau, where participants pledged US$16 billion (€15.2 billion) to heal the oceans.
The setting in a small island developing state underscored the crucial role and leadership of Indigenous peoples and local communities in tackling the climate change and ocean crises.
Discussions focused around the importance of ocean-based climate solutions and the linkage between healthy oceans and healthy communities.
The annual conference is intended to mobilize support and funding for ocean initiatives to address the world’s most pressing ocean issues and is a key event for leaders to ensure global ocean commitments are upheld and backed by robust financing.
To date, the seven OOC events have accrued commitments worth more than $108 billion (€102 billion) and protected at least 5 million square miles (12.9 million square kilometers) of ocean.
