Held during the 81st UN General Assembly High‑Level Week, the event brought together heads of state and governments, ministers and stakeholders, to strengthen support for global ocean observation. Reliable ocean observation is essential for safe navigation, weather forecasting, climate predictions, coastal protection and a thriving blue economy. In total, 30 countries have joined the alliance so far.
As seed funding, the EU increased the funding for Ocean observation activities with an additional €92 million. The Co-Chair of the OceanEye International Alliance, Canada, pledged C$82 million CDN over five years to expand Canada’s ability to observe the ocean. Altogether, the pledges from all partner countries so far amount to at least €211 million, with a mix of financial contributions, in‑kind support and the provision of assets such as research vessels, sensors, drones and data‑processing facilities.
The pledges will support:
– the maintenance of existing observation platforms;
– the closure of critical data gaps;
– the strengthening of the Global Ocean Observing System Secretariat;
– the Global Ocean Observing System coordination hubs;
– and the reinforcement of the OceanOPS data‑reporting centre.
A total of 31 members have joined the OceanEye International Alliance, including the EU and 30 countries (Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cabo Verde, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Namibia, Palau, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom).
Opening the event, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said: “As the underwater world rapidly changes, ocean observation gives us eyes and ears beneath the waves. With OceanEye, we can gather the data we need to understand and protect our ocean. And with our OceanEye Alliance, we will have a vital network across the world. For a better life with and on our blue planet.”
Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, added: ”The ocean we share cannot be understood, or protected, by any nation alone. What none of us can do individually, we can achieve together. Every observation shared multiplies impact. That is what this Alliance builds: a picture none of us could see by ourselves, and none of us can afford to lose.”
The event was organised in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC‑UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the two co-sponsoring organisations of the Global Ocean Observing System. The EU and Canada will now engage with the partners to improve coordination for global Ocean observation and make the alliance grow further. A next event is planned at COP31.
Source: European Commission
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