The United Nations Global Compact's Sustainable Ocean Business Action Platform brings together representatives from governments, academia and business to determine how ocean industries can advance towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Platform's work is based on the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, which outline the responsibilities of business in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

The ocean is vital for the well-being and prosperity of humanity. To realize the global ambitions outlined by the SDGs, we face the need to expand our use of the ocean.

However, the production of food, raw materials, energy and transport services will need to be sustainable in order to contribute to the reduction of global warming and environmental degradation. Today, threats such as overfishing, marine litter and acidification have made ocean health very fragile.

Maintaining healthy ocean environments is a fundamental prerequisite for companies to operate in the long term and, at the same time, the challenges of sustainable development open up significant business opportunities.

Being part of the platform means:

• Developing a "Framework for Leadership for the Global Goals and the Ocean" as a guideline for business leadership with regard to the oceans, seas and marine resources.
• Inspiring partnership and local action: expanding existing successful partnerships at the national level and promoting innovative solutions to advance the implementation of Global Goals through ocean sustainability.
• Engaging on the public front: designing advocacy tools on key issues.
• Mapping and collecting new data: mapping the impact of the industry sector in terms of ocean sustainable development.

For more information: www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/action-platforms/ocean  

From 2 to 6 June, the 2020 UN Ocean Conference, jointly organized by the governments of Kenya and Portugal, will be held in Lisbon. The Conference was presented by Antonio Guterres as one of the cornerstones of the "Decade of Action" for the Sustainable Development Goals and will aim to promote much needed innovative science-based solutions to launch a new chapter in the global action for the oceans.

For more information on the event: www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/action-platforms/ocean