Greece Concludes the 9th “Our Ocean Conference” with $11.35 Billion in Commitments

Athens, 18 April 2024

With significant global commitments amounting to $11.35 billion, the 9th “Our Ocean Conference” (OOC-9), hosted by Greece, successfully concluded on 17 April 2024.

Greece officially handed over the “baton” to the Republic of Korea, which will host the 10th edition of the conference in Busan in 2025.

Key statistics of the 9th OOC:

  • 469 commitments for ocean protection, totaling $11.35 billion
  • 21 national Greek commitments exceeding $800 million
  • Participation of 119 countries and more than 3,500 delegates

The international conference was funded by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and took place in Athens at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) on 16–17 April 2024, following the 7th Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit held on 15 April.

Within the framework of OOC-9, the Greek Government announced 21 national commitments totaling over $800 million. At the same time, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced the launch of the Decarbonization Fund for Greek islands, financed through revenues from the European Emissions Trading System.

“This Fund, which could eventually reach up to €2 billion depending on the carbon price, will finance the interconnection of our islands with the mainland grid, energy storage, and renewable energy projects, including offshore wind energy. It will also support the construction of multi-purpose water reservoirs,” the Prime Minister stated.

Key Greek commitments include:

  • The creation of two large marine national parks, in the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea, increasing Greece’s Marine Protected Areas by 80%
  • A ban on bottom trawling in national marine parks by 2026 and in all Marine Protected Areas by 2030
  • Establishment of a national monitoring and surveillance system for Marine Protected Areas
  • Reduction of marine litter by 50% and microplastics by 30% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels

The Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis, together with the Secretary General for Natural Environment and Waters, Petros Varelidis, participated in a special session where several Greek commitments were further detailed. It is noteworthy that 13 of the 21 commitments fall under the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

At the closing ceremony of the conference, Minister Skylakakis officially handed over the hosting “baton” for the 10th OOC, to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea in 2025, to the Deputy Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea, Myeong-dal Song.

The Minister emphasized that the success of OOC-9 was the result of collective effort by governments, youth, private organizations, and public officials. He also highlighted the shared responsibility to protect the oceans, noting that “the future does not belong to us, but to our children, our grandchildren, and future generations.”

“The Ocean can save us, but we must first save it. We must remember that we are not owners of the Earth, but stewards of it,” stated Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis.

The Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for the Oceans and Coordinator of the “Our Ocean Conference 2024,” Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Minister of State Akis Skertsos, as well as all relevant ministries and participants for their strong cooperation and high-level representation.

She stated:
“Greece hosted the most successful Our Ocean Conference in the history of the initiative. Nearly 500 new commitments were announced in Athens, compared to approximately 2,100 commitments across all previous editions combined. Exceptional ideas were presented, partnerships were formed, and new initiatives emerged for sustainable ocean governance, while further momentum was given to the ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.”

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry, founder of the initiative in 2014, noted that total commitments over the nine editions of the conference exceed 2,500, with a combined value of $138 billion.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also addressed the conference, emphasizing that the water of the planet is not a private resource for the few, but a sacred gift for all.

The OOC-9 gathered Heads of State and Government, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Ministers, international organizations, NGOs, academia, the private sector, and more than 3,500 participants.

More than 100 events were held during the conference, both in the main stage and side events, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to protect the oceans. A permanent OOC Secretariat was also established to systematically monitor the implementation of commitments.