António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly; and 40 other guests, among them Cody Simpson, explain why the oceans matter for the 2022 UN Ocean Conference. The ocean covers 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, is the planet's largest biosphere, and is home to up to 80 percent of all life in the world. It generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the additional heat generated from those emissions.

UN News reports on Colombia’s vibrant undersea world, with over a thousand square kilometres of coral reef awaits those who take the plunge. Yet this improbable marine wonder is in danger. Scientists, local experts, passionate activists, and islanders are sounding the alarm about the deterioration of one of the richest ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea, even as they work together on innovative ways to restore it. The One Million Coral for Colombia project initiated by the Colombian Government in 2021 aims to plant one million coral fragments and restore 200 hectares of coral reef by 2023.

Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, reflects on the positive actions we can take this year at a series of international meetings related to the ocean, including the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. In an article for UN Chronicle, he says we can all play a part in halting the decline in the ocean’s health: "Let us all commit to reforming our relationship with Nature to one of respect and balance. And let us do this for our children and grandchildren, so that they may live the secure lives we wish for them on a healthy planet."

The ocean is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest carbon sink - a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change. It nurtures unimaginable biodiversity and produces food, jobs, mineral and energy resources. However, the science is clear – the ocean is facing unprecedented threats as a result of human activities, and we need to act now. The UN Ocean Conference (Portugal, 27 June -1 July) will seek to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.

Ahead of the UN Ocean Conference, UNDP checks in with the Special Envoy for the Ocean, who reminds us: “No healthy planet without a healthy ocean, and the ocean’s health is measurably in decline.”

Through an FAO project in Fiji, fishers learn how to access aquatic species further offshore and are given the skills and equipment they need to do it. It’s about building capacity and resilience.

The Day of the Seafarer (25 June) focuses on the contributions made by seafarers to the entire global community. Every day, hundreds of thousands of seafarers are underway on ships, while others get ready for their next voyage. Without seafarers, there would be no shipping. Under this year’s theme “Your voyage - then and now, share your journey”, IMO calls on seafarers to share what resonates with them most, include photos of their first and most recent voyages, and tell us what has changed. Search #SeafarerJourney in social media, to take a look at seafarer voyages.

The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet's oxygen, it is home to most of Earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein and nutrition for more than 3 billion people. Despite all of this, the ocean is at risk, facing a multidimensional crisis driven by overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. UNDP cautions this is time for action.

FAO presents the lessons of the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability, supporting the development of a new vision for sustainable and socially just fisheries, resilient to the changes of the twenty-first century. From the symposium a set of recommendations emerged to improve the sustainability of capture fisheries and progress towards the different targets of the SDGs. The unequal progress in fisheries management highlights the urgent need to replicate and re-adapt successful policies to maintain healthy fish stocks.

The southwest coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest and most populated island, is flanked by the country’s longest fringing reef system, affectionately known as the Coral Coast. Namada is one of four traditional villages in the Korolevu-i-Wai District that will benefit from the Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy programme. Partly funded by the Joint SDG Fund, the programme supports the customary fishing rights owners for the Korolevu-i-Wai/Koro-i-Nasau qoliqoli (community) to operate coral-reef-associated ecotourism attractions and activities to generate revenue to support the effective management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Locally Managed Marine Area (KiW/KiN LMMA), as well as help support the communal development needs of the community, while also offering them economic opportunities.

The ocean produces 50% of the planet’s oxygen and absorbs 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming. Oceans are the lungs of our planet and a major source of food and medicine. Yet we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. Revitalization: Collective action for the ocean is the theme of this year’s World Oceans Day, urging us to work on creating a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty, but restores its vibrancy. Learn, spread the message and join our event online.

Two decades of action and a singular success: The Western and Central Pacific Ocean is now the only major ocean area where all tuna stocks are harvested sustainably. This is a story of cooperation and diligence, a wide array of expertise, a pool of talent and skills as wide-ranging and vast as the 40 million square kilometres of ocean area whose fisheries the Pacific Island nations have been tasked to protect.

The UN Oceans Forum, organized by an UNCTAD-led coalition, called for sufficient and reliable long-term investment in a Blue Deal to conserve and use the ocean for sustainable development.

UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs cover over half a million km2 worldwide – the equivalent of the size of France – exhibiting exceptional biodiversity. They play a critical role in absorbing carbon emissions and protect coastlines from storms and erosion. Over a hundred indigenous communities are directly dependent on them for their subsistence. But the scientific data concerning these coral reefs is now very alarming. Reefs are bleaching far more rapidly than the initial science suggested, making them highly vulnerable to starvation and disease.

The Blue Connection film tells an inspiring story of unity, support, and multilateral collaboration between three countries - Barbados, Belize, and Costa Rica - and their collective efforts to sustainably develop their coastal communities in the wake of the global pandemic. The story shares an intimate perspective of the daily lives and challenges faced by people working in the blue economy through an UNCTAD  project.