Building on the operationalization of the OCM in 2025, the two-day meeting marked a major transition from initial planning stages to the initiation of the full implementation of the OCM Work Programme. Key decision-makers and regional partners endorsed an approach to strengthen data & information management on the marine environment and the blue economy, enhance related reporting and decision-support, and align national and regional ocean priorities into a unified ocean agenda for the region.
Central to the meeting's outcomes was the endorsement of the way forward for several core expected OCM Work Programme outputs:
A Regional unified Ocean Action Agenda: Setting a collaborative approach to update and implement a unified strategic programme for the region’s marine resources.
A collaborative reporting and decision-support mechanism: Establishing a regular, collaborative reporting mechanism on marine ecosystem health and its impact on regional “blue” economies, integrating efforts from regional partners.
Open Ocean Data and Information Blueprint, and OCM Knowledge Hub: Paving the way for enhanced data sharing, interactive governance, and knowledge-driven decision-making across the Caribbean.
The meeting also set its sights on the global stage, launching discussions around the regional “Raising Ambitions” Campaign on the road to the 4th UN Ocean Conference (UNOC4) in 2028. This initiative spotlights commitments from countries from the region to Sustainable Ocean Planning & Management (SOPs), 30x30 marine protection targets, and climate-resilient blue economy instruments.
Throughout the meeting, the need to build on existing partnerships and avoid duplicating efforts was emphasized, ensuring that limited financial resources are used to maximum effect.
“Integrating regional instruments like the integrated State of the Cartagena Convention Area Report (SOCAR) into a broader regional framework ensures that science directly informs ocean policy and enhances the impact of our work. As we look toward UNOC4, the Wider Caribbean Region continues to raise its ambition towards healthy, sustainable marine ecosystems”
Laverne Walker from the United Nations Environment Programme Cartagena Convention Secretariat (Co-Chair of the OCM Executive Group)
The Ocean Coordination Mechanism serves as a pioneering platform bringing together signatory States, Territories, and Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) to support a holistic, integrated approach to ocean governance, in the pursuit of healthy marine and coastal ecosystems as key drivers for human wellbeing and thriving ocean-based economies. It was created under a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed by 23 states and territories of the Wider Caribbean Region and 9 Intergovernmental organizations.
The work of the OCM is currently supported by the UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project.
