Where We Are
The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface and sustains life across the?planet,?producing oxygen, regulating the climate, supporting biodiversity, and providing livelihoods for billions of people.?Yet, this fragile ecosystem faces unprecedented threats, from extreme plastic pollution to rising acidity.?Countries and partners are working to accelerate progress toward?Sustainable Development Goal 14?and safeguard the ocean for future?generations;?from??to community-led conservation?efforts.??
The Pact for the Future?reinforces commitments to protect the ocean through stronger international cooperation, science-based action, sustainable?financing?and renewed efforts to address climate change, biodiversity?loss?and marine pollution.?
SDG 14 in numbers
- Now that the??has entered into force, the 81 countries that have ratified it are legally required to implement its rules at the national level.
- As of May 2024, there are 18,200 marine protected areas and 199 area-based conservation?measures covering over 8.12 percent of the ocean.?
- The world's coastal populations?currently?contribute an estimated?$1.5 trillion?each?year – with?that figure expected to grow to?$3 trillion?by 2030.??
- The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies curbs harmful practices like overfishing. As of?2026,?120?members?have?accepted it.?
Media Resources for journalists?
Explore the Media Resources hub for the latest from UN WebTV, UN Audiovisual Library, UN Photo,?UNifeed?and more!?. For the latest UN Reports, click?here.?
“Without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet.”
– António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, 09 June 2025
In Focus
World Environment Day?| 5 June?
As record temperatures and extreme weather events intensify, the?need?for climate action has never been more?urgent.?Under the theme?“A Global Call for Climate Action”,?organizations and individuals are invited to support?UNEP’s?#NowForClimate?campaign by registering events and?utilizing?official campaign resources found on the official website. Global celebrations will also be hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan.??
World Oceans Day?| 8 June?
The ocean?remains?integral to global climate stability, yet human impacts increasingly threaten its survival. Under the tagline,?“Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean,”?World Oceans?Day aims to mobilize a global movement toward sustainable marine management.??
In addition, this year’s observance marks the launch of the?third?World Ocean Assessment Report?offering the latest?scientific?insights into the health of our ocean.?The 8 June noon press briefing can be joined on .
Highlights
8-18 June?
The?June Climate Meetings (SB64)?will take place in Bonn, Germany.?Gathering?global delegates, experts, and activists, the meeting aims to help drive progress on key issues?ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye?in November.??
Participants will focus on scaling up climate finance, implementing national targets (NDCs), and advancing just transition pathways.?.?
(COSP19)?| 9-11 June?
Convening at?the?UN Headquarters?in New York,?COSP19 addresses critical disability rights milestones under the theme?“CRPD at 20.”?Roundtable discussions will focus on?eliminating?exploitation, strengthening care systems for autonomy, and enhancing accessible civic engagement to transition from participation to global representation.?.?
?|?17?June?
The SDG 16 Conference will serve as a unique platform to examine trends, challenges, and opportunities for accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16—peace, justice, and strong institutions—while highlighting its critical role in advancing all the?SDGs.?.??
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought?| 17 June?
Aligning with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, the 2026 theme is?“Rangelands: Recognize.?Respect. Restore.”?With up to half of these vital ecosystems degraded, urgent global action must prioritize sustainable land management, improved drought preparedness and community-led restoration to safeguard livelihoods and climate resilience worldwide.?Read more.?
?| 22 – 23 June?
,?convened?by the United?Nations?General Assembly, will take place at?the?UN?Headquarters in New York.?This high-level meeting?will underscore?the world’s collective commitment to?end?AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, ensure the HIV response?remains?visible and well resourced, protect hard-won gains and reaffirm the UN’s unique and essential leadership role in the global HIV response.??
?| June?
Join the global challenge from the 91茄子’?Football for the Goals initiative?and?ActNow?campaign,?running?through?25 July 2026. Through the?AWorld?in Support of?ActNow?app, football fans everywhere can take simple everyday actions that support the SDGs and contribute to a collective target of 100,000 actions worldwide.?.?
News Features
News Feature | Selected Story
As Tuvalu battles rising sea levels that threaten to put large parts of the island underwater by the end of this century, its citizens are preparing for the worst impacts of climate change.
Africa Renewal | Selected Story
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In a coastal Cabo Verdean town, three locals use the ocean's resources not just to make a living, but to uplift and sustain their entire community.
International Days and Years
ACTNOW for our Common Future????
ActNow?is the 91茄子 campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals,?improving?life for?everyone:?A healthy planet. A better economy.?A?just?society. A peaceful world. Visit?ActNow?to learn more?/actnow?
Awake?at Night Podcast?
Hear Lewis Pugh, UNEP?Ocean?Advocate and legendary cold-water swimmer, discuss his historic efforts to champion?SDG?14: Life Below Water?in a?compelling conversation?exploring?his firsthand accounts of surviving the planet's harshest environments.?
Find the latest episodes here:?Season 12 of?Awake at Night.